Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with his Canadian counterpart Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the sidelines of the 18th Group of 20 Summit (G20 Summit) which was taking place in Delhi, India. The discussion happened on 10 September and both the leaders talked about the connections between their two countries in multiple sectors. During this pull-aside meeting, PM conveyed strong concerns of India over the continuous anti-India activities by Khalistanis in Canada.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated PM Modi for the historic success of the summit. Notably, the latter pointed out the use of Canadian soil for anti-India and Hinduphobic activities by pro-Khalistan elements. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, “Prime Minister highlighted that India-Canada relations are anchored in shared democratic values, respect for rule of law and strong people-to-people ties. He conveyed our strong concerns about the continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada.”
PM Modi firmly conveyed that Khalistan fundamentalists are threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship, encouraging secessionism, provoking violence against Indian diplomats and damaging diplomatic facilities.
The release further read, “The nexus of such forces with organized crime, drug syndicates and human trafficking should be a concern for Canada as well. It is essential for the two countries to cooperate in dealing with such threats. Prime Minister also mentioned that a relationship based on mutual respect and trust is essential for the progress of the India-Canada relationship.”
Interestingly, Narendra Modi held bilateral meetings with world leaders including US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron, among others, however, it was a ‘pull-aside meeting on the sidelines’ with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
A pull-aside meeting is not a formal bilateral meeting and is ranked below a bilateral meeting. A pull-aside meeting can take place whenever two leaders meet.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Prime Minister addressed a press conference in the national capital where he replied to questions on Khalistan extremism. “Over the years, with PM Modi, we have had many conversations on both of those issues.” He claimed to defend freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and freedom of peaceful protest and stated that these rights were of utmost importance to his country. He stated, “At the same time we are always there to prevent violence and to push back against hatred.”
He further alleged, “I think on the issue of the community, it is important to remember that the actions of the few do not represent the entire community or Canada. The flip side of it, we also highlighted the importance of respecting the rule of law and we did talk about foreign interference,” on the matters of Khalistan and foreign interference.
He termed India “an extraordinarily important economy in the world and an important partner to Canada.” The relationship between India and Canada is strained due to the presence of separatist organisations in the maple country that support Khalistan. The vandalisation of Hindu temples, attacks on the Indian high commission, threats to Indian diplomats working in the high commission and the discretion of Indian tricolour at the hands of Sikh fanatics is a regular occurrence.
The government of Canada has shied away from taking stern action against the Khalistani extremists in its country and catered to vote bank politics despite repeated objections from India which has resulted in the souring of diplomatic relationships between the two countries.
Watch the interaction below:
Canadian Media says Trudeau invisible India
While PM Modi didn’t have a formal bilateral talk with PM Trudeau, Canadian media is filled with reports that the Canadian PM has been invisible at the G20 Summit. Reportedly, Justin Trudeau was mostly snubbed by other G20 leaders, not just India, and he didn’t participate much at various events of the summit. Toronto Sun reported that Modi denied Trudeau’s requests for an official bilateral meeting, and the US President didn’t meet him even though Joe Biden held bilateral talks with heads of Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, Mauritius and Bangladesh.
The Toronto Sun further added that “a pull-aside meeting is a very informal kind of meeting that can happen in hallways, even in kitchens”. The publication noted that Canada’s relations have deteriorated with both China and India, which is a major concern, and said that the PM is to be blamed for this. “Like he has done with Canadian voters, Trudeau has alienated himself from many world leaders. They likely are looking forward to a change in Ottawa as much as the convention goers in Quebec City were this weekend,” the report stated.
According to journalist Aditya Raj Kaul, Canadian journalists were wondering if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is even present at the G20 Summit in New Delhi, due to his absence from major announcements and photo ops. He said that no global leader or media has mentioned him, and was given a cold shoulder.
While the G20 leaders and other invited leaders had several bilateral meetings with each other during the G20 Summit, Justin Trudeau had only one bilateral, with World Bank President Ajay Banga. Interestingly, the Canadian press accompanying him could not cover this meeting because they were not informed about it on time. The Canadian PM also skipped the G20 leaders dinner.