Justine Trudeau's G20 blushes sinks Canada's India ties

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By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi, September 19: Not only Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was singed on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit, he was reportedly grilled by host Narendra Modi over patronage to Khalistani separatists. Within a fortnight of being called out to shelter anti-India elements, Trudeau stepped up his tirade against New Delhi by almost accusing Indian involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani supporter, who was shot dead in Vancouver recently.

Trudeau’s accusations in an emergency meeting of the Canadian parliament have plunged the bilateral ties of the two countries to new lows, with one each diplomat expelled by both the sides. India had previously warned Trudeau not to play into the hands of the Khalistani supporters, and not offer the country’s soil for anti-India operations.

Trudeau was reported by the international news agencies, alleging that “there are credible allegations that the Indian agents could be involved in the murder of Nijjar”. He claimed that the act is a blatant violation of the Canadian sovereignty. His foreign minister Melanie Jolie shortly afterwards announced the expulsion of an Indian diplomat.

India reacted strongly to trash the Canadian charges, as the High Commissioner of Canada was summoned and informed about the decision to expel a senior Canadian diplomat. “The concerned diplomat has been asked to leave India within the next five days. The decision reflects Government of India’s growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities. We have seen and reject the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a media statement.

The Ministry also asserted that “allegations of Government of India’s involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated. Similar allegations were made by the Canadian Prime Minister to our Prime Minister, and were completely rejected. We are a democratic polity with a strong commitment to rule of law. Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The Ministry also charged that the “inaction of the Canadian Government on this matter has been a long-standing and continuing concern. That Canadian political figures have openly expressed sympathy for such elements remains a matter of deep concern. The space given in Canada to a range of illegal activities including murders, human trafficking and organised crime is not new.”