The Australia Today, a leading news outlet for the Indian diaspora in Australia, finds itself at the center of an international controversy after its social media channels were blocked in Canada. The restriction reportedly followed the broadcast of a press conference featuring India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who addressed escalating tensions between Canada and India. In the conference, Jaishankar condemned Canada’s alleged tolerance of “anti-India elements” and surveillance of Indian diplomats, remarks that appear to have prompted the social media blackout of The Australia Today’s content in Canada.
Following the ban, the managing editor of the prominent media outlet issued a statement, expressing his gratitude towards those who supported the outlet amid media blackouts. He affirmed in his statement that despite the challenges, the media house continues to maintain its image as a free press, aimed at ensuring accuracy and transparency.
Jitarth Bharadwaj Speaks Out on Press Freedom
In an exclusive interview with NewsX, The Australia Today’s Managing Editor, Jitarth Jai Bharadwaj, voiced his disappointment over the Canadian government’s decision to block the publication’s social media pages, describing it as a serious violation of press freedom. “I feel issues and diverse voices should be heard, understood, and discussed in the press. What Canada has done does not reflect the democratic values that we live by in the West,” he stated.
Bharadwaj shared how the publication initially discovered the ban, explaining that the restrictions came without any prior notice. “The day we were at the Federal Parliament for a press conference between MEA Jaishankar and our Foreign Minister Penny Wong, I was covering the event and raised a question about the attacks on Hindu temples by Khalistan supporters,” he recounted. “Both ministers responded openly to my question, which we shared on our social media, where it quickly went viral.”
He further explained that this exposure led to a unique opportunity to interview India’s External Affairs Minister as an Australian news outlet. “When I posted the interview on Facebook, it received a large audience. But within the next 40 minutes, we started receiving messages from people asking whether we had taken the interview down, which we hadn’t,” he said, reflecting on the sudden shift in the viewership. He then recalled a viewer who had sent him a screenshot, which indicated that their interview clip ‘could not be viewed in Canada as per the Canadian government’s orders on legislation.’
Canada’s Unexplained Blockade
He stated that after confirming with several other viewers and receiving the same response, they understood that their content had been blocked over the social media platforms. He reiterated that the Canadian government’s behaviour was unfortunate and surprising. He further stated that they did not know why their content was blocked and wondered whether it was because they didn’t like the content or they didn’t like the fact that the India External Affair Minister and the Canadian foreign minister were discussing the attacks by the pro-khalistanis on the Hindu temples in Canada.
Recalling whether the interview was blocked before it was even broadcast across the country, Bharadwaj mentioned that the interview was in fact aired across various platforms for about 40 minutes. “After 45 minutes or so, our followers notified us that the content was no longer visible to them.
When asked about whether any justification was given to the media outlet by the Canadian government or the authorities over the reason behind the interview being blocked over the social media platforms, Jitarth claimed that they were yet to hear from the Canadian government. “If we come to know of anything, I will notify you. but what I am understanding is they are trying to block all news channels on their meta platforms,” he further mentioned that they took the action against them as they realised that our content was changing the public opinion in Canada. He further clarified that Australia Today has reached out to the Canadian Ministry for Communication to understand why the action was taken but their response is yet to be received.
The Potential Trigger: Jaishankar’s Remarks on Extremism
Talking about what statement from the Indian MEA, S Jaishankar could have potentially triggered the banning of Australia Today’s content, Bharadwaj stated that it was hard to point since the Indian MEA was very open about the issue of the attacks on Hindu temples in Canada and had mentioned that the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also spoken about the same. “The important part, I feel, was when Mr. Jaishankar mentioned that he had spoken about the attacks to our Canadian foreign minister Penny Wong, which I feel might have triggered the Canadian government, which prompted them to take this action, because maybe they did not want Canadians to know of the same.”
Giving a message to the NewsX viewers in Canada, Jitarth stated that Australia Today would continue to ask the right questions and would keep on doing the stories that matter to the people. He also mentioned that he is also looking forward to asking for a justification for the ban on their content. He further added that he sees the Canadian government’s recent actions as suppressing press freedom. Bharadwaj suggested that Canada’s current approach could set a troubling precedent for further censorship. “The Canadian authorities are acting in such a way… for the last year and a half, Gurpatwant Singh Pannu from Sikhs for Justice has been issuing direct threats to us. He has even been posting pictures of my team—my editors and reporters—calling on his followers to take action and making threatening gestures with guns. We have informed Canadian authorities about all this, and they have taken no action,” he said.
Seeking Protection: The Role of Australian Authorities
Bharadwaj voiced concerns that Canadian authorities may be leaning toward a specific perspective, allowing extremist actions to continue unchecked. “Unless there is a drastic change in the Canadian government’s point of view, I don’t see any change happening. The Canadian authorities are turning a blind eye to these extremist incidents and violent acts,” he added.
When asked if Australian authorities had been notified, Bharadwaj confirmed that his team has taken proactive steps. “Yes, we have notified all these threats. The Australian Federal Police and previous Home Affairs Minister were informed, and action was taken to advise us on safety. The Press Council also took note, and several measures have been taken behind the scenes to ensure our team’s safety. However, in regard to the Canadian government’s crackdown on our website, we’ve yet to hear any official response from the Australian government,” he stated.
Bharadwaj reaffirmed his commitment to defending press freedom, despite the risks. “We will keep doing what we need to do—raising issues that matter to the people. These multicultural communities are often left out of the mainstream media, and we will continue to bring their voices forward. Even if we have to face bans or restrictions by authoritarian leaders like Justin Trudeau, we don’t care; we are not afraid. We will speak truth to these powerful politicians,” he declared. “We will continue to bring out the stories that matter, especially those of the Indian-Australian diaspora globally. And nobody—I stress, nobody—can suppress these stories.”
A Pledge to the Global Diaspora
Jitarth Bharadwaj’s conversation with NewsX highlights that the Canadian government’s ban on The Australia Today across social media channels in Canada appears to be a deliberate effort to limit public discourse shaped by recent interviews with India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and discussions involving Canadian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and S. Jaishankar.
The clampdown on *The Australia Today* has sparked international concerns about press freedom and government censorship, particularly in democratic countries. Bharadwaj argues that Canada’s decision reflects an attempt to control narratives that may challenge the government’s stance on India-Canada relations or sensitive topics like extremism. According to him, the ban does more than restrict access to news—it raises critical questions about the boundaries of free speech in a democracy.
Bharadwaj’s remarks underline a larger issue: if governments start restricting media to manage international narratives, it could set a dangerous precedent for democratic values. Despite these setbacks, he reaffirmed *The Australia Today*’s commitment to bringing stories that resonate with diverse communities worldwide, undeterred by governmental interference.