Prime Minister Narendra Modi may not attend the G7 summit hosted by Canada on June 15-17, according to a report by Times of India.
This is the first time that PM Modi will not attend the G7 Summit since 2019. However, there is no official invitation yet from Canada for the meeting in Alberta.
Canada has not officially released its guest list for the summit which is likely to be attended by heads of governments of key economies. According to reports, Ottawa has invited the leaders of Australia, Ukraine, South Africa and Brazil.
According to Canadian media, Sikh organisations are calling on Ottawa to break with a five-year tradition by not inviting PM Modi to the summit.
The Toronto-based Sikh Federation said Canada should withhold any invitation "until India substantially co-operates with criminal investigations in Canada," CBC news reported.
Ties between India and Canada were severely imapcted following then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegation of potential involvement of Indian government agents in the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023. India rejected the allegation as “politically motivated” and “absurd”.
This tension led to downgrading of ties, withdrawal of diplomats, visa services being impacted, and trade not achieving its potential. Last October, after Indian envoy Sanjay Verma was expelled along with more diplomats, India too expelled Canadian diplomats. Canadian consulates were also shut because of lack of Canadian officials.
With Trudeau’s exit and defeat of Jagmeet Singh, who leads the New Democratic Party and is viewed by Delhi as a backer of Khalistan separatists in Canada, India hopes that ties will improve.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand recently indicated that her government is cautiously working towards repairing strained relations with India.
Anand recently held a phone conversation with her Indian counterpart S Jaishankar. After the call, Anand stated that Ottawa is moving "one step at a time" in mending the relationship, reported News18, citing The Globe and Mail.
"We are certainly taking it one step at a time. As I mentioned, the rule of law will never be compromised, and there is an ongoing investigation regarding the case that you mentioned," Anand said referring to the June 2023 killing of Nijjar.
Anand's remarks drew criticism from the World Sikh Organisation (WSO), which expressed "deep disappointment" over her positive tone.
In response, the Hindu organisations in Canada voiced support for Anand's approach.
"WSO is bullying Anita Anand for merely trying to improve relations with India—an economic powerhouse in Asia. Strengthening diplomatic ties with India has the potential to benefit all Canadians by facilitating trade and fostering economic growth, particularly at a time when Canada faces external geopolitical pressures," the Hindu Canadian Foundation (HCF) wrote in a statement on X.
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