India a country of growing importance, not trying to provoke: Justin Trudeau

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Sep 22, 2023: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday said India is a country of "growing importance" and that his government was "not looking to provoke or cause problems".

This comes amid the row between India and Canada after Trudeau alleged that there was a "potential link" between the Indian government agents and the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whom he refers to as a "Canadian citizen".

 

Answering a question about the relation of India with the West and the silence of Canada’s allies on the ongoing issue, Justin Trudeau said, "There is no question that India is a country of growing importance and a country that we need to continue to work with, not just in the region but around the world. We’re not looking to provoke or cause problems. But we are unequivocal around the importance of the rule of law and unequivocal about the importance of protecting Canadians and standing up for our values."

He also called on the Indian government to "work with us" in the investigation. "That’s why we call upon the government of India to work with us, to establish processes to uncover the truth of the matter and to allow justice and accountability to be served," said the Canadian PM.

Justin Trudeau said he had a "direct and frank" conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit a few days ago where he shared his concerns. He also continued to refer to Hardeep Singh Nijjar as a "Canadian" and said, "We are a country of the rule of law. We are going to continue to do the work necessary to keep Canadians safe and to uphold our values and the international rules-based order."

India designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020. He was killed in a targeted shooting in June this year outside a gurdwara in Canada’s Surrey.

So far, India has denied all the charges levelled by Justin Trudeau and expelled Olivier Sylvester, a top Canadian diplomat hours after the Canadian PM’s allegation. The central government also announced that Canadian citizens, regardless of which country they are living in, would not be able to apply for an Indian visa.

Courtesy: India Today