Canada has banned Australia Today, hours after the outlet broadcasted a press conference held by India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Australia, where he addressed issues concerning the India-Canada diplomatic tensions and Khalistani extremism within Canada. India expressed surprise over Canada’s move, calling it hypocritical in light of Ottawa’s stance on freedom of speech.

Earlier, Australia Today, a popular news source for the Indian diaspora in Australia, aired the joint press conference with Jaishankar and his Australian counterpart, Penny Wong, in Canberra. According to Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the social media accounts and pages of Australia Today were made inaccessible to Canadian viewers shortly after the broadcast.

"This happened only hours after the press conference was aired, which strikes us as unusual," Jaiswal said in a weekly press briefing in Delhi. He added, "This action highlights Canada’s double standards on freedom of speech. Minister Jaishankar discussed three key issues in his statements: Canada’s baseless allegations without evidence, the surveillance of Indian diplomats in Canada, and the political space granted to anti-India groups in Canada.”

Australia Today frequently covers stories relevant to the Indian community in Australia and beyond. This incident follows a recent attack on a Hindu temple in Brampton by pro-Khalistani supporters, which Jaishankar described as "deeply concerning." Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the incident, stating it was a “cowardly attempt” to intimidate Indian diplomats in Canada.

The diplomatic rift between India and Canada began in September last year, when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that Indian agents might have been involved in the killing of Khalistani figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an accusation India firmly denied. Relations worsened last month when Canada labeled the Indian High Commissioner a “person of interest” in the Nijjar investigation. India countered by recalling its envoy and several diplomats from Canada, while expelling six Canadian officials, including Canada’s acting High Commissioner.

India has consistently condemned violence by extremist groups and has urged Canada to protect all religious sites within its borders.