According to the CBC, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has noticed a change in India’s attitude toward Ottawa following a warning from the United States over India’s alleged involvement in a foiled plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader on U.S. soil.
Trudeau stated in an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corp, “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.”
He added, “There’s an understanding that maybe, maybe just churning out attacks against Canada isn’t going to make this problem go away.”
On September 18, Trudeau announced that Canadian intelligence agencies were investigating credible allegations linking Indian government agents to the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June, leading to diplomatic tension between the two countries.
In November, the U.S. Justice Department charged a man accused of orchestrating an unsuccessful plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist, alleging that an Indian government official directed the plan. The U.S. officials did not disclose the targeted individual’s name.
Following these revelations, Canadian officials urged India to cooperate in the investigation, which brought renewed attention to the movement for a Sikh homeland in northern India.
New Delhi vehemently rejected Canada’s claim, resulting in a diplomatic dispute that led to the expulsion of diplomats and possible disruption of trade talks. In contrast, India stated that it was taking the U.S. indictment seriously and conducting an investigation.
Both the U.S. and Canada are aiming to strengthen their ties with India to counter Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Trudeau expressed, “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. We want to be advancing the Indo-Pacific strategy.”
He emphasized, “But it is foundational for Canada to stand up for people’s rights, for people’s safety, and for the rule of law. And that’s what we’re going to do.”
(Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Mark Porter)
