NEW DELHI: Canadian PM Justin Trudeau congratulated his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for the majority to NDA alliance in Lok Sabha elections, while telling him that bilateral ties are anchored, among other things, in the rule of law .
Canada has repeatedly cited the same in the past nine months to claim involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistan separatist and Canadian national Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year in the Vancouver area.The allegation led to a major diplomatic flare-up that resulted in the expulsion by India of 41 Canadian diplomats who, Indian authorities claimed, were interfering in India’s internal affairs.
“Congratulations to Indian PM Narendra Modi on his electoral victory.
Canada stands ready to work with his govt to advance the relationship between our nations’ peoples—anchored to human rights, diversity, and the rule of law,’’ said Trudeau .While acknowledging the importance of ties with India, and its role in the Indo-Pacific, Canada has maintained that its immediate priority with India is to fix accountability for the Nijjar killing.
Canada has arrested four men in the case so far but India maintains Ottawa hasn’t shared any information or evidence that Indian agencies could probe.There were signs earlier this week of further deterioration in ties as a Canadian security and intelligence report tabled in Parliament alleged India is the second biggest threat to democracy after China.
NEW DELHI: Canadian PM Justin Trudeau congratulated his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for the majority to NDA alliance in Lok Sabha elections, while telling him that bilateral ties are anchored, among other things, in the rule of law . Canada has repeatedly cited the same in the past nine months to claim involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistan separatist and Canadian national Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year in the Vancouver area.The allegation led to a major diplomatic flare-up that resulted in the expulsion by India of 41 Canadian diplomats who, Indian authorities claimed, were interfering in India’s internal affairs. “Congratulations to Indian PM Narendra Modi on his electoral victory. Canada stands ready to work with his govt to advance the relationship between our nations’ peoples—anchored to human rights, diversity, and the rule of law,’’ said Trudeau .While acknowledging the importance of ties with India, and its role in the Indo-Pacific, Canada has maintained that its immediate priority with India is to fix accountability for the Nijjar killing. Canada has arrested four men in the case so far but India maintains Ottawa hasn’t shared any information or evidence that Indian agencies could probe.There were signs earlier this week of further deterioration in ties as a Canadian security and intelligence report tabled in Parliament alleged India is the second biggest threat to democracy after China. The report claimed India is interfering in Canadian democratic processes and institutions, including “through the targeting of Canadian politicians, ethnic media and Indo-Canadian ethnocultural communities.”According to CBC News, the report says that while India’s foreign interference efforts are not as widespread as those of China, they are “of significant concern.”“India seeks to cultivate relationships with a variety of witting and unwitting individuals across Canadian society with the intent of inappropriately exerting India’s influence across all orders of govt, particularly to stifle or discredit criticism of the Govt ,” says the report.
