Modi ‘attacks’ Justin Trudeau over pro-Khalistan protests in Canada. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised serious concerns about Sikh protests in Canada during a conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi on Monday.
New Delhi has been sensitive to protests in Canada, particularly those concerning Sikh issues. In June, India chastised Canada for allowing a parade float depicting the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her bodyguards in 1984, which Sikh separatists saw as glorifying violence.
The Indian statement expressed its concerns, stating that such protests in Canada were “promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises, and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship.”
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Relations between India and Canada have deteriorated, with Ottawa recently suspending talks on a proposed trade agreement with India, just three months after both countries stated their intention to finalize an initial agreement this year.
As Modi ‘attacks’ Justin Trudeau over pro-Khalistan protests in Canada, notably, Prime Minister Modi held bilateral meetings with a number of world leaders during the G20 summit, but Prime Minister Trudeau did not.
Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984 by two Sikh bodyguards after she authorized the storming of the holiest Sikh temple in northern India, with the goal of eliminating Sikh separatists advocating for an independent homeland known as Khalistan.
Canada has the world’s largest Sikh population outside of Punjab, India, and has been a focal point for protests that have strained relations with India.
During a press conference in New Delhi, Prime Minister Trudeau reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to “freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, and peaceful protest.”
He also emphasized Canada’s anti-violence and anti-hate stance, emphasizing that the actions of a few individuals do not represent the entire Sikh community in Canada or the country as a whole.
In unrelated news, Trudeau’s departure from the G20 summit was delayed due to a technical problem with the Canadian delegation’s aircraft, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s office. The delegation will stay in India until other arrangements can be made.
