Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he had a “brief exchange” with India’s Prime Minister┬аNarendra Modi at a┬аsummit in Laos a year after he accused India’s government of┬аinvolvement┬аin the killing of a Canadian Sikh activist in B.C.┬а
It’s the second time Trudeau’s come face-to-face with Modi since relations went cold in September 2023 after Trudeau rose in the House of Commons and said┬аCanada was pursing┬а“credible allegations” of a link to India and the death.┬а
Trudeau wouldn’t go into detail about what he said to┬аModi┬аat the┬аAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, but said he told Modi there are real issues they need to solve.┬а
“I emphasized that there is work that we need to do,” Trudeau told reporters at a press conference in Laos.
“I won’t go into details about what we talked about, but what I’ve said many times is that┬аthe safety of Canadians and upholding the rule of law is one of the fundamental responsibilities┬аof any Canadian government, and that’s what I’ll stay focused on.”
Nijjar was gunned down by masked men outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia in┬аJune 2023.┬аFour Indian nationals are accused of first-degree murder and conspiracy┬аin connection to his murder. The high-profile case is currently working its way through Canadian court.
Just yesterday, Foreign Affairs Minister M├йlanie Joly┬аcalled Canada’s relations with India as “tense” and “very difficult” right now. She said there’s still a threat of more killings like Nijjar’s on Canadian soil.
She testified at the pInquiry into Foreign Interference that she’s been┬аpushing┬аfor India to participate in the Canadian police investigation into Nijjar’s death, but so far that hasn’t happened and she’s concerned about the safety of other Canadians. Joly said┬а
“We’re calling for co-operation from the Indian government because in the end, we want to hold all those who were involved in Nijjar’s murder responsible, and especially want to prevent any further murders because the threat is there,” she said.
Asked by CBC News about that threat, Trudeau said Canadian’s safety is top of mind.
“We are seeing troubling patterns of violence affecting Indo-Canadians right across the country over the past number of months┬аand this is an issue that I can assure you that we will continue to be very, very seized with,” Trudeau said.┬а
Trudeau made the comment┬аat a press conference in Vientiane, Laos after the ASEAN┬аSummit wrapped up.┬а
Modi also travelled to the summit and spoke to a series of world leaders, including meeting with Prime Minister┬аAnthony Albanese┬аof Australia, one of Canada’s Five Eyes intelligence alliance partners.
Modi did not have a bilateral meeting with Trudeau. The prime minister’s office wouldn’t share any details about exactly when and where at the summit Trudeau and Modi spoke.
Tensions between the Canadian and Indian governments are as high as ever after the arrest of three Indian nationals in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
India originally denied any involvement in the killing, called the allegation “absurd” and┬аaccused Canada of harbouring violent extremists.
Trudeau said Friday in Laos he stands behind his allegation. He said national security agencies┬аand law enforcement “continue to be deeply engaged on this issue.”
“What I will say is that the statement I made around credible allegations of India’s┬аinvolvement in the death of Canadian on┬аCanadian soil continues to stand, that our responsibility as a government to keep Canadians safe in their homes and their communities right across the country remains one of the top preoccupations of this government,” he said.
After Canada came out with it’s allegations, the┬аU.S. later reported it was investigating an alleged assassination plot with links to India and Nijjar.┬а
An unsealed U.S. indictment in November 2023 alleged┬аofficials in New Delhi offered $100,000 to drug dealer Nikhil Gupta to hire a hitman to kill U.S-Canadian dual citizen and Sikh activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannum in New York. The U.S. indictment said the New Delhi officials also considered tasking Gupta with killing Nijjar.
India responded to the U.S. allegations by stating that it had launched an investigation тАФ a reaction distinctly different from its response to Trudeau’s statement in the House of Commons. Bloomberg News reported in March that India’s investigation indicated “rogue operatives” that were not authorized by the government were involved in the U.S. case.
Trudeau wouldn’t comment on the difference between how India has responded to the U.S. allegations compared to Canadian allegations when asked by CBC News about it in Laos.
On the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time since Canada publicly accused India’s government of involvement in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The last time Trudeau and Modi┬аspoke face-to-face was in June on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy. The Prime Minister’s Office described that exchange┬аas a “brief discussion on the┬аbilateral relationship” but wouldn’t share details.
Trudeau told CBC News in July┬аhe saw an opening to engage with India after Modi was re-elected. Trudeau said Friday Canada needs to “continue to┬аdevelop our trade ties and our people to people ties, but there are real issues that we need to solve for and we’re going to stay focused on that.”
Trudeau is scheduled to testify at the ongoing┬аpublic inquiry into foreign interference in Ottawa on Wednesday and could face more questions about threats from India.
