Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greet each other with a wave in a family photo captured at the G7 Summit in Schloss Elmau on Monday, June 27, 2022, as seen in an image by Paul Chiasson for the Canadian Press.


December 20, 2023

In a recent interview with CBC's Rosemary Barton, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his belief that the relationship between India and Canada has experienced a notable shift in tone following the unsealing of a U.S. indictment alleging a conspiracy to murder a Sikh activist on U.S. soil. Trudeau's public statement in the House of Commons on September 18, linking India to the shooting death of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C., was met with scorn and denials from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

The recent U.S. indictment suggests that Indian government agents were not only instigators but also financiers of a murder plot in New York City, with connections to the killing of Nijjar and a scheme to target Canadians. Trudeau revealed that he went public with the allegations after unsuccessful quiet diplomacy, aiming to deter potential attacks on Canadian territory by Indian agents.

Modi himself remained aloof, but Indian government officials, including Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, initially dismissed Canada's claims as baseless. However, the tone softened as other G7 countries, particularly the United States, supported Canada in the dispute. President Joe Biden raised the issue with Modi during their G20 summit meeting, though the public was unaware of the U.S.'s ongoing investigation into a plot to assassinate U.S.-Canadian dual citizen Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

The U.S. indictment outlines a complex scenario, alleging that Indian officials in New Delhi offered $100,000 to hire a hitman to kill Pannun in New York. Intercepted communications between the parties discussed both the Pannun and Nijjar plots, indicating a level of coordination. Trudeau believes the U.S. indictment has prompted a more subdued response from the Modi government, acknowledging a possible understanding that bluster may not resolve the issue.

Trudeau emphasized the importance of collaboration and suggested a change in India's attitude, stating that relentless attacks against Canada may not be a solution. While the U.S. indictment provides more detailed evidence than Canada's allegations, the significant difference lies in the U.S.'s greater global influence compared to Canada. Tensions with Washington have the potential to harm India and the Modi government more significantly.

The U.S. has continued to express concern about the alleged murder-for-hire plot, as evidenced by FBI Director Christopher Wray's recent visit to New Delhi. In response, India's Ministry for External Affairs announced the establishment of a high-level commission of inquiry to investigate the Pannun case. Despite public messages emphasizing the need for an investigation, officials in both the U.S. and Canada privately doubt that the Modi government was unaware of the alleged assassination plot, suggesting a possible state-directed operation.

The Biden administration conveyed its concerns to a group known as the "Samosa caucus," comprising influential Indian-American members of Congress. In a confidential briefing, they warned that the actions outlined in the indictment could damage the significant partnership between the U.S. and India. Trudeau echoed similar sentiments in his CBC year-end interview, expressing Canada's commitment to standing up for people's rights, safety, and the rule of law, while also expressing a desire to continue collaboration on trade and the Indo-Pacific strategy with India.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 0 / 5. Vote count: 0

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

You may also like

Carney refuses to fire official over Chinese bounty remark on candidate

Liberal leader Mark Carney announced on Monday that he would not remove Paul Chiang as a candidate in the Markham-Unionville....

Cory Booker Delivers Long Senate Speech In Protest Of Trump

Senator Cory Booker from New Jersey gave a powerful, all-night speech in the Senate, protesting President Donald Trump’s actions. Starting....

Liberals Lead By 8 Points As Election Race Heats Up

Canada's election race is in full swing, with recent polls showing the Liberal Party gaining an eight-point lead over the....

Elon Musk Says He Gave Ashley St. Clair $2.5M In Child Support

Elon Musk is denying accusations that he has financially punished Ashley St. Clair and their child. The controversy started when....

Virginia Giuffre Hospitalized After Serious Car Crash

Virginia Giuffre, one of the most well-known accusers of Jeffrey Epstein, is in the hospital after a severe car accident.....

Trump Says Things With Canada Will Be Fine, But Tariffs Still Loom

U.S. President Donald Trump sounded hopeful about the relationship between his country and Canada after a phone call with Prime....

Liberal Candidate Apologizes For Bounty Remark On Conservative Rival

A Liberal candidate seeking re-election in a key GTA riding has apologized after making an inappropriate remark about a Chinese....

Partial Solar Eclipse To Dazzle Eastern Canada This Saturday

Eastern Canada will witness a stunning partial solar eclipse on Saturday morning. To catch the event, skywatchers will need to....

Trump Withdraws Elise Stefanik’s UN Ambassador Nomination

President Donald Trump has decided to cancel the nomination of New York Representative Elise Stefanik for the role of US....

Canadian PM warns of strained US-Canada ties over trade threats.

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney warned that the country must significantly cut its reliance on the US as their relationship....

Poilievre Promises TFSA Boost To Encourage Canadian Investment If Elected

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has promised to increase the limit on tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs) if he wins the upcoming....

Liberals Hold Strong Lead, But Conservatives Show Signs Of Recovery

The Liberal Party is holding a solid lead in the polls, with 48% of support compared to the Conservatives’ 36%.....