AMID his country’s ongoing diplomatic row with India over the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey in June last year, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the presence of Khalistan supporters on his country’s soil.
He, however, added that those people do not represent the Sikh community as a whole, the Press Trust of India reported.
The remarks of Trudeau, who has been facing heat both at home and overseas, came during the recent Diwali celebrations at Ottawa’s Parliament Hill, the report added.
Analogy with Modi government’s support
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau said while there are many Khalistan supporters in Canada, they “do not represent the Sikh community as a whole”. He also presented an analogy saying there are supporters of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in the North American country, but they do not represent all Hindu Canadians.
In September last year, relations between India and Canada nosedived after Trudeau alleged Indian agents “potential” involvement in the elimination of Nijjar outside a gurdwara.
New Delhi rejected the allegations as “absurd”.
Last month, India expelled a number of Canadian diplomats after withdrawing its high commissioner from Ottawa, Sanjay Verma, and other officials who were allegedly “targeted”.
India has accused Canada of giving space to elements working against New Delhi’s interests.
Recently, Khalistan supporters caused disturbance at a Hindu temple in Brampton by clashing with people and disrupting a consular event co-organized by the temple authorities.
The Canadian premier condemned the incident and said every Canadian has the right to practice their faith freely. He also stressed on their safety.
While the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said the government was “deeply concerned” about the safety of Indian nationals who reside in Canada, the Indian consulate in Toronto said it was canceling some of the scheduled events in November since the country’s security agencies expressed their “inability to provide minimum security protection” to the organizers, the PTI report added.
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(PM Justin Trudeau photo source: Justin Trudeau Twitter/@JustinTrudeau)
(With agency inputs)
