Justin Trudeau’s G20 Disaster: Scolded by Narendra Modi, Stranded in India by Faulty Plane
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi scolded Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the G20 summit in New Delhi, India, on Sunday because Canada allows Sikh groups to promote what Modi described as “secessionism.”
After defending Canada’s commitment to freedom of expression, Trudeau found himself stuck in India due to “technical issues” with his plane.
The Indian government released a statement about Modi’s conversation with Trudeau regarding Sikh demonstrations, a persistent sticking point in relations between India and Canada.
According to the statement, Modi told Trudeau that Sikh demonstrators in Canada are “promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship.”
Sikh protestors for the independence of Khalistan scuffle with police in front of the Indian Consulate in Toronto, Canada, on July 8, 2023. (GEOFF ROBINS/AFP via Getty Images)
Modi added that strained relations between Canada and India could not be improved unless Trudeau’s government takes steps to rein in the Sikh secessionists, also known as the “Khalistan movement.”
Modi warned Trudeau that the Khalistan movement has links to organized crime, drugs, and human trafficking, which should be Canadian security concerns as much as they are Indian concerns.
“It is essential for the two countries to cooperate in dealing with such threats,” Modi said.
The Times of India (TOI) reported that Trudeau sought a formal bilateral meeting with Modi, but his request was refused, and the Canadian prime minister had to settle for a brief, informal “pull-aside” at the G20 summit.
TOI added that India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar was even more critical of the Canadians, blasting them for “vote-bank politics” that make local officials reluctant to alienate well-heeled and politically organized Khalistan activists in their districts.
Jaishankar has warned that India would “have to respond if activities in Canada impinged on India’s security and integrity.”
“Khalistan” is the name of a Sikh separatist movement and the name of a prospective Sikh nation the movement wishes to carve out of India’s Punjab region. Canada has the largest population of Sikhs outside of India, so Sikh issues are often reflected in Canadian political activism.