‘Matter of serious concern’: MEA addresses extortion calls to Indians in Canada

The government has expressed concern over reports that some members of the Indian community in Canada had received “extortion calls”.

“People getting extortion calls, especially Indian nationals, is a matter of serious concern,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said answering queries at the regular media briefing.

“We (India and Canada) have several issues to discuss. There was an issue about a temple which was attacked. The Canadian police then thereafter went into the investigation of the temple premises, and the person who had intruded it later turned out, and they issued a statement that the person was of unsound mind. So there are these issues that keep happening…,” Jaiswal said.

It was Jaiswal’s maiden press conference as MEA spokesperson. He was asked about the growing concern in the Indo-Canadian community living in Canada’s British Colombia about getting extortion calls and threat calls in the last two months and if the Indian government was monitoring the situation.

Media reports said that law enforcement in Canada has established a task force to probe reports of extortion targeting some businesses of members of the Indo-Canadian community.The reports citing police in Canada said that nine incidents were being investigated.

Ties between India and Canada have seen a downslide in the recent past with the MEA spokesperson earlier noting that the core issue is “space that is given to extremists and terrorists and, anti-India elements” in Canada.