To keep anti-India elements, especially belonging to the Khalistani movement in good humour, the Justin Trudeau government last week asked New Delhi to submit High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and five other diplomats to a police enquiry as they are “persons of interest” in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist, outside a Gurdwara in Surrey in British Columbia in June 2023.
“The Indian government made a fundamental error in thinking that they could engage in supporting criminal activities against Canadians, here on Canadian soil, be it murder or extortion. This is absolutely unacceptable,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has been recently accused by his own former Foreign Minister Marc Garneau of hurting Canada’s international credibility, said during a press conference on October 14. He further said that “the evidence brought to light by the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) cannot be ignored.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has been recently accused by his own former Foreign Minister Marc Garneau of hurting Canada’s international credibility
India’s Reaction
Infuriated by this statement of the Canadian Prime Minister, India’s Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal issued a statement on October 17, saying, “Canada has presented us no evidence whatsoever in support of the serious allegations that it has chosen to level against India and Indian diplomats. The responsibility for the damage that this cavalier behaviour has caused to India-Canada relations lies with Prime Minister Trudeau alone.”
An upset New Delhi, later summoned Canada’s acting High Commissioner Stewart Ross Wheeler to South Block to explain Ottawa’s move. It also asked six Canadian diplomats, including Ross Wheeler to leave India by October 19. With this, it also announced withdrawal of its High Commissioner and other diplomats from Canada, indicating how seriously ties between the two countries have fractured on account of unwarranted allegations.
Not just India is criticising the Justin Trudeau government for muddying his country’s ties with the world’s fifth largest economy, the North American country’s media and think tanks are also condemning Justin Trudeau for making allegations without providing credible evidence
“We needed to see some evidence, on the basis of which we can converse with our counterparts. Unfortunately, not a shred of evidence has been shared with us. Any evidence shared has to be legally acceptable.” India’s High Commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Kumar Verma said in an interview with Canadian broadcaster CTV.
Canadian Media’s Response
But then, not just India is criticising the Justin Trudeau government for muddying his country’s ties with the world’s fifth largest economy – which also hosts nearly 700 Canadian companies, the North American country’s media and think tanks are also condemning Justin Trudeau for making allegations without providing credible evidence.
Writing in The National Post, Canada’s English language newspaper, journalist John Ivison said Canada has allowed Sikh terrorism to “flourish” in the country. He also attacked the RCMP for making serious statements against India without providing any evidence. Other experts said India fought alongside Canada against Germans and the Japanese in World War II; it is a fellow democracy and a member of the Commonwealth and as such, Ottawa should give a serious thought before levelling unsubstantiated allegations against New Delhi.
The Sikh community exercises disproportionate political influence in Canada, and fetches the Liberal Party a significant number of seats in the Parliament. Given this, the Justin Trudeau government has given the Sikh community, even those belonging to pro-Khalistan camp a free pass to target India and its interests
Among most Canadian columnists and journalists, a common understanding is that Justine Trudeau is trying to claw back his declining popularity in the country by resorting to frame India in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. And this he is doing for the sake of vote bank politics.
Trudeau’s Vote Bank Politics
The Sikh community, which is the vote bank of Justin Trudeau, comprises more than 2% of the total Canadian population, as per the 2021 Census of the North American country.
More than half of Canada’s total Sikh population live in Brampton, Surrey, Calgary, and Edmonton. The largest Sikh populations are found in provinces of Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta.
The Sikh community exercises disproportionate political influence in Canada, and fetches the Liberal Party a significant number of seats in the Parliament. Given this, the Justin Trudeau government has given the Sikh community, even those belonging to pro-Khalistan camp a free pass to target India and its interests.
Recent poor performance of the Liberal Party amid declining popularity of Justin Trudeau have led to parliamentarians belonging to the ruling outfit asking the Canadian Prime Minister to tender his resignation. But he has insisted that he will stay and lead the party into the next election, scheduled to be held in October 2025
In June this year, Khalistani extremists burnt an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi outside the Indian consulate in Vancouver. Earlier in June, a float depicting an effigy of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi being fired upon by her bodyguards marked its presence at an event in the Greater Toronto Area. This development occurred a week after a similar float was featured during a Khalistani demonstration at the Indian consulate in Vancouver in June.
Last year in March, pro-Khalistan supporters vandalised the Indian High Commission in Ottawa; tied Khalistani flags on the boundary wall of the High Commission and hurled two grenades inside the premises of the building.
In an interview with Canada’s CTV News, the recalled-Indian High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma alleged that Khalistani extremists are “deep assets” of Canada Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).
Trudeau’s Declining Approval Rate
Trudeau’s approval rate has declined from 63% when he was first elected in October 2015 to 28% in June this year, according to a poll tracker.
As per an opinion survey by Ipsos Poll, conducted between September 5 and 9, 2024 on behalf of Global News, around 67% Canadians (two-third) disapproved of Justin Trudeau’s leadership as Prime Minister. Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre remained the top choice for Prime Minister among 45% Canadians, while Trudeau lagged by 19 points at 26%.
To all this, Justin Trudeau’s Liberty Party lost a crucial Montreal parliamentary seat in the by-election held in September. This was the second major defeat of the Liberal Party. In June, it lost the Toronto parliamentary seat that it held for three decades to the Conservative Party.
India is the largest source of foreign students in Canada, with around 600,000 Indian students attending Canadian educational institutions. Besides, around 700 Canadian companies are present across India. Currently bilateral trade between the two countries stands at around $8 billion
Such performances of the Liberal Party amid declining popularity of Justin Trudeau have led to parliamentarians belonging to the ruling outfit asking the Canadian Prime Minister to tender his resignation. But he has insisted that he will stay and lead the party into the next election, scheduled to be held in October 2025.
Overall, Indian officials say that ongoing tension between New Delhi and Ottawa will not impact non-political engagements between the two countries. But nothing can be said with certainty, given India’s tough stand on sovereignty and territorial integrity.
It should be understood that India is the largest source of foreign students in Canada, with around 600,000 Indian students attending Canadian educational institutions. Besides, around 700 Canadian companies are present across India. Currently bilateral trade between the two countries stands at around $8 billion.
However, since the rift has widened between India and Canada with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unwilling to bring cool in bilateral relations, there is fear that ongoing tension may impact trade and immigration ties between New Delhi and Ottawa.
–The writer is a senior journalist with wide experience in covering international affairs. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
