India wants Canada PM-elect Mark Carney to rein in Khalistanis

New Delhi: With Mark Carney set to replace Justin Trudeau as the next prime minister of Canada, India hopes its relations with Ottawa could see a reset, provided he addresses India’s concerns over activities of the Khalistani Sikh extremists.

Carney won with 86 per cent of the votes in an internal election in the Liberal Party and will soon take over the leadership of the ruling party. He will also be sworn in as the prime minister of Canada, succeeding Trudeau, after he announced on Jan 6 that he will step down.

Though relations between both the countries nosedived during the nine-year-long tenure of Trudeau, Carney already signalled his intent to mend the India-Canadian ties.

“What Canada will be looking to do is to diversify our trade relationship with like-minded countries,” Carney said last Tuesday.

“And there are opportunities to rebuild the relationship with India. There needs to be a shared sense of values around that commercial relationship. If I’m prime minister, I look forward to the opportunity to build that,” he said.

The negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two nations had started in 2010 but remained stalled over the past few years.

With Mark Carney set to replace Justin Trudeau as the next prime minister of Canada, India hopes its relations with Ottawa could see a reset, provided he addresses India’s concerns over activities of the Khalistani Sikh extremists.

Carney won with 86% of the votes in an internal election in the Liberal Party and will soon take over the leadership of the ruling party. He will also be sworn in as the prime minister of Canada, succeeding Trudeau, after he announced on Jan 6 that he will step down.

Though relations between both the countries nosedived during the nine-year-long tenure of Trudeau, Carney already signalled his intent to mend the India-Canadian ties.

“What Canada will be looking to do is to diversify our trade relationship with like-minded countries,” Carney said last Tuesday.

“And there are opportunities to rebuild the relationship with India. There needs to be a shared sense of values around that commercial relationship. If I’m prime minister, I look forward to the opportunity to build that,” he said.

The negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two nations had started in 2010 but remained stalled over the past few years.

Carney’s words during the run-up to the elections and his imminent ascent to office of the prime minister indicated that he might be interested in a reset in ties with India and restarting the talks for a CEPA, in order to cushion the impact of Trump’s trade wars against Canada.

New Delhi has taken note of Carney’s words on India-Canada ties. A source told DH that New Delhi would always welcome any overture by Ottawa to mend the bilateral ties, if India’s concerns over the activities of Khalistani Sikh extremists in Canada were addressed and requests for extradition of fugitive terrorists and underworld dons were quickly approved.

Relations between New Delhi and Ottawa had hit a new low on September 18, 2023, when Trudeau had accused India of having a role in the killing of Khalistani Sikh terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.

Matters came to a head in October 2024, when Canada went on to accuse New Delhi’s envoy to Ottawa, Sanjay Kumar Verma, and his five colleagues of having a role in the June 18, 2023, killing.

New Delhi withdrew Verma and its other diplomats while expelling six diplomats of Canada.