India鈥檚 top diplomat steered clear of his country鈥檚 row with Canada over the killing of a Sikh separatist leader but made an oblique swipe at how other countries respond to 鈥渢errorism鈥� as he addressed world leaders at on Tuesday.
Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar mainly used his speech to champion India鈥檚 growing global stature and leadership ambitions, highlight its recent turn chairing the Group of 20 industrialized nations and steering a earlier this month.
But he also said that the world must not 鈥渃ountenance that political convenience determines responses to terrorism, extremism and violence.鈥�
India has often lashed out at Pakistan at the United Nations over what New Delhi sees as sponsoring terrorism. But this time, the comment could also be seen as a swipe at Canada, whose representative is scheduled to speak later Tuesday at the U.N.
Ties between the two countries have plunged to their lowest point in years after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the June killing of a Canadian citizen in a Vancouver suburb.
Canada has yet to provide any public evidence of Indian involvement in the slaying of 45, who was killed by masked gunmen. He was a leader in what remains of a once-strong movement to create an independent Sikh homeland, and India had designated him a terrorist.
India鈥檚 foreign ministry and accused Canada of harboring 鈥渢errorists and extremists.鈥� It also said the claims were motivated, implying that Trudeau was trying to drum up domestic support among the Sikh diaspora.
鈥淪uch unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India鈥檚 sovereignty and territorial integrity,鈥� the ministry said in a statement last week.
But India has of giving free rein to Sikh separatists, including Nijjar.
While the active insurgency ended decades ago, the Modi government has warned that Sikh separatists were trying to stage a comeback. New Delhi has pressed countries like Canada, where Sikhs make up more than 2% of the population, to do more to stop a separatist resurgence.
Canada鈥檚 allegation clouded after the G20 summit. Jaishankar sought to turn the spotlight back on his country鈥檚 aspirations on the world stage, noting that it is the world鈥檚 most populous nation and an increasingly muscular economic power.
鈥淲hen we aspire to be a leading power, this is not for self-aggrandizement, but to take on greater responsibility and make more contributions,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he goals we have set for ourselves will make us different from all those whose rise preceded ours.鈥�
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