Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese chided a reporter over a question on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked him to ‘chill out a bit’, after being asked whether he regretted calling PM Modi “the boss”. In a press conference on Tuesday, Albanese took aim at a reporter who asked whether “he regretted calling PM Modi the boss.” “Seriously? You should chill out a bit,” he said, according to SBS news.
“We [were] at a venue where Bruce Springsteen played the last time I was there, and I made the point that the reception he got from the community, which was a very broad-based community, where they’re from, the Indian diaspora welcomed him.”
“I welcomed Prime Minister Modi to Australia, as I welcome other guests to Australia as well.”
PM Modi’s got a grand welcome in May
Notably, when introducing PM Modi to a crowded audience in Sydney in May, Mr Albanese referred to him as “the boss”—a nod to Bruce Springsteen.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Albanese said, “I don’t talk about Five Eyes intelligence at a press conference,” but he did not specify if he had joined Canada’s Prime Minister in bringing up the accusation with PM Modi at the G20.
Mr Trudeau triggered a diplomatic storm on Monday by saying there was “credible evidence” India was responsible for the alleged assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Five Eyes is a network of five nations — Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the US who collaborated to better respond to increasing threats by North Korea and China.
The claims have “deeply concerned” Australia, according to a spokesperson for Penny Wong, the foreign minister of Australia. “We understand these reports will be particularly concerning to some Australian communities. The Indian diaspora is a valued and important contributor to our vibrant and resilient multicultural society, where all Australians can peacefully and safely express their views.”
Meanwhile, the relations between India and Canada have grown tense after Justin Trudeau made allegations regarding the Indian government’s involvement in the fatal shooting of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.
(With inputs from ANI)