Modi meets Trudeau, shares 'strong concerns' over anti-India Khalistani activities in Canada

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday conveyed to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau New Delhi’s “strong concerns” over continuing activities of anti-India Khalistani extremists in the North American nation.

Trudeau, on the other hand, said that while it was “extremely important” for the Canadian Government to defend the freedom of peaceful protest, it was also committed to prevent violence and push back hatred.

The relations between the two nations came under stress with New Delhi alleging that Ottawa failed to deal with the campaign run by the extremists in Canada to carve out a separate Khalistan from India.  

The two prime ministers had a bilateral meeting on the sideline of the G20 summit in New Delhi. The prime minister told his counterpart that India-Canada relations were anchored in shared democratic values, respect for rule of law and strong people-to-people ties. He conveyed his government’s strong concerns about continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada, according to a press-release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of the Government of India.

“They (the extremist elements) are promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises, and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship,” a spokesperson of the MEA quoted Modi telling Trudeau. “The nexus of such forces with organised crime, drug syndicates and human trafficking should be a concern for Canada as well.”

The prime minister stressed on the need for cooperation between the governments of India Canada in dealing with such threats.

He told the Canadian Prime Minister that mutual respect and trust were essential for the progress of India-Canada relationship.

“Canada will always defend freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, and freedom of peaceful protest and it is extremely important to us,” Trudeau told journalists after his meeting with Modi. He was replying to a question on India’s concerns over activities of the Khalistani Sikh extremists in Canada.

“At the same time,” he added, “we are always there to prevent violence and to push back against hatred. I think on the issue of the community, it is important to remember that the actions of the few do not represent the entire community or Canada.”