Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri briefs parliamentary panel on Canada, China

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

A day after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar made a suo motu statement in Parliament on the disengagement process with China, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) briefed a parliamentary panel on China and Canada.

Another meeting of the parliamentary panel is likely on December 11 where the government is expected to brief on the latest situation in Bangladesh.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is scheduled to visit Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka on December 10 amid growing concerns over targeted attacks on Hindus in the country.

On Wednesday, sources told The Hindu, Mr. Misri gave a detailed presentation to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs on the disengagement process with China in Ladakh.

Echoing the External Affairs Minister, Mr. Misri told the panel that the process had progressed well so far.

The Parliamentary Committee’s Chairman and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor as well as other Opposition MPs had several questions for the Foreign Secretary on China.

“Yes, the Opposition had several questions but the meeting took place in a cordial manner,” a BJP MP said.

‘Unfriendly policies’

On frosty relations with Canada, the Foreign Secretary blamed the Canadian government’s “unfriendly policies” for the souring of relations with India.

Referring to Canada’s allegation of Indian involvement in the murder of Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Mr. Misri said the Canadian government had not been able to produce any evidence to back its charge.

The committee members were informed that Khalistani elements were active in a few other countries as well, but the local governments didn’t provide the kind of protection that Canada does. That is why the Khalistani groups have found a safe space to carry out anti-India campaigns from Canadian soil.

With some MPs demanding a briefing on the situation in Bangladesh, especially in the aftermath of the deposition of the Sheikh Hasina government, the committee is likely to meet on December 11.

The issue of targeting of Hindus in Bangladesh, who make up 8% of the country’s population of 170 million, has surfaced in the proceedings of the Lok Sabha in the past two days.

BJP MPs Anil Firojiya, Hema Malini and Dilip Saikia, raised the issue in the Lok Sabha during Zero Hour on Wednesday.

Mr. Firojiya urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene to ensure justice to ISKCON monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, who has been jailed in Bangladesh on charges of sedition.