Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau admitted to the presence of Khalistani supporters in the nation, but said not all of them represent the Sikh community. He also went on to say there are Hindu supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Canada, but they also do not represent the Hindu community as a whole in Canada.
Such an acknowledgement by Trudeau vindicates India's stand that the Canadian government is harbouring pro-Khalistani elements.
"There are many supporters of Khalistan in Canada, but they do not represent the Sikh Community as a whole. There are supporters of the Modi government in Canada, but they do not represent all Hindu Canadians as a whole," Trudeau said, while addressing the Indian community during Diwali celebrations at Ottawa's Parliament Hill.
Trudeau's remarks came amid escalating tensions between India and Canada over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Relations between the two countries became strained in September 2023, when Trudeau accused Indian agents of being involved in Nijjar's death. New Delhi had rejected Trudeau’s charges as “absurd" and “baseless".
Nijjar, a wanted terrorist by the Indian government, was gunned down outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18, 2023.
In October 2024, the ties between the two nations went in for a tumble when when Canada termed Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma as a "person of interest" in its probe into Nijjar's murder. The accusation led India to recalling its High Commissioner to Ottawa and expelling six Canadian diplomats from the country.
The Ministry of External Affairs has repeatedly stated that the Canadian government failed to provide any evidence linking India to the killing of Nijjar, despite multiple requests.
Additionally, it accused Prime Minister Trudeau of engaging in vote-bank politics and not taking adequate action against separatist groups operating on Canadian soil.
