Prime Minister Justin Trudeau remarked on Wednesday that there might be a “Tonal Shift” in India's relations with Canada, attributed to the recent indictment of an Indian national in the US for planning an assassination attempt on a Sikh separatist on American soil.
Trudeau stated, "I think there is a beginning of an understanding that they can't bluster their way through this and there is an openness to collaborating in a way that perhaps they were less open before," during an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Trudeau noted that the US indictment seems to have persuaded the Indian government to adopt a more measured stance.”
Trudeau emphasised, "There’s an understanding that maybe, just churning out attacks against Canada isn’t going to make this problem go away."
He stated, "We don’t want to be in a situation of having a fight with India right now over this. We want to be working on that trade deal, advancing the Indo-Pacific strategy. However, it is foundational for Canada to stand up for people’s rights, safety, and the rule of law. That’s what we’re going to do."
The tensions escalated after Trudeau's September 18 accusations of ‘potential involvement’ of India in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia on June 18. India rejected these allegations as "absurd" and "motivated."
Last Month, The United States Department of Justice has recently unveiled an indictment, charging an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta, aged 52, for his involvement in a plot to murder a Khalistani leader based in the US. In the Southern District of New York, a superseding indictment was unsealed, alleging murder-for-hire charges against Gupta in connection with a foiled plot to assassinate a US citizen in New York City. The targeted Sikh leader wasn't explicitly named, but media reports identified him as Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, leader of the banned organisation Sikhs for Justice in India.
India has formed a committee to investigate the allegations made. Trudeau recently mentioned that publicly accusing India was meant to discourage similar actions in the future.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar informed the Rajya Sabha that Canada has not shared any specific evidence or inputs regarding the allegations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a recent interview, raised concerns about overseas extremist activities, emphasising India's commitment to the rule of law. Despite incidents, he expressed confidence that such events wouldn't disrupt the US-India relationship, asserting a willingness to investigate any information provided about citizens' actions.
Justin Trudeau, in an interview with Canadian Press, explained that his statement linking Indian agents to a killing was aimed at deterring any potential similar actions in Canada. He emphasized that the message served as an additional level of deterrence due to concerns among Canadians about their vulnerability.
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