POLITICALLY SENSITIVE
Modi took a conciliatory tone as he met Carney at the mountain resort, saying that both Canada and India were “dedicated to democratic values”.
“The relationship between India and Canada is very important in many ways,” Modi said.
He congratulated Carney on guiding his Liberal Party to an election victory and said: “I am confident that together … India and Canada will work together to make progress in many areas.”
Sikh protesters rallied on the streets of Calgary, the closest large city to the summit, as many criticised Carney’s inclusion of Modi, who is accustomed to invitations to major international gatherings despite criticism of his Hindu nationalist government’s human rights record.
The left-wing New Democratic Party, the fourth largest party in parliament which is not formally part of Carney’s government, denounced the invitation to Modi and pointed to allegations of Indian surveillance against its former leader Jagmeet Singh, who is Sikh.
“Continuing to engage Modi’s government without accountability undermines all efforts to defend human rights, transparency, and the rule of law,” it said in a statement before the visit.
Canada is home to the largest Sikh population outside India. With some 2 per cent of the Canadian population and clustered in suburban swing areas, the community has exerted growing political influence.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a naturalised Canadian citizen who advocated for an independent Sikh state called Khalistan, was shot dead in the parking lot of a Sikh temple in British Columbia in 2023.
Trudeau accused India of direct involvement. Canada has accused India of directing a broad campaign of intimidation against Sikh activists in the country.
India denied involvement in the killing and said Canada should take more action against violent advocates for Khalistan, which has been reduced to a fringe movement inside India.
The United States, which has a warm relationship with India, also accused an Indian agent of involvement in an unsuccessful plot against a Sikh separatist on US soil but addressed concerns more quietly than Trudeau.
