India summons Canada after pro-Khalistani slogans raised during PM Trudeau addressal
New Delhi. The Ministry of External Affairs on Monday summoned the Canadian diplomat after pro-Khalistani slogans were raised at the public meeting attended the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the occasion of Khalsa Day in Toronto.
At the event, the loud pro-Khalistani slogans were heard during the event. Trudeau during the address to the Sikh community said that his government would support the rights of Sikhs in the country without any ‘discrimination.’ It is worth noting that the statement from the Canadian PM came when India and Canada were troubled by diplomatic tensions.
India strongly protests 'Khalistan' slogans at a public event attended by Canadian leaders:https://t.co/ELigT7BEDl pic.twitter.com/7k9DCl2yAv
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) April 29, 2024
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs has summoned the Canadian diplomat over the concerns. Taking it to X handle, the Indian government has expressed deep concern. The government also highlighted that these actions will not only impact India-Canada relations but also encourage a climate of violence and criminality in Canada to the detriment of its own.
The two countries are facing a diplomatic crisis, after the Canadian Prime Minister accused agents of the Indian government of killing Canadian Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023. However, India has denied the charges, calling them "absurd" and "motivated."
Najjar was shot and killed on the evening of June 18, 2023, as he left a Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia. Nijjar was classified as a terrorist by the National Investigation Agency in 2020.