Trudeau accuses India of making 'horrific mistake' by interfering in Canadian matters

Justin Trudeau deepens the rift with Narendra Modi government.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday accused India of plotting violence in the North American nation, adding a new chapter to the growing rift between the two countries over the murder of a Sikh separatist leader.

Trudeau levelled the charges as part of a probe into foreign interference and said that there are “ever clearer indications” that India violated Canada’s sovereignty by targeting Sikh dissidents in its territory. "The Indian government made a horrific mistake in thinking that they could interfere as aggressively as they did in the safety and sovereignty of Canada," he said.

The remark came two days after Canada kicked out six Indian diplomats, linking them to the murder of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Vancouver in June 2023. India, in an immediate counter move, expelled six Canadian diplomats on Monday.

India again trashed all claims of its connection with the killing of Nijjar, who is labelled a 'terrorist' and called the allegations “preposterous” and a “strategy of smearing India for political gains”.

Read: 'No hard evidence...': Justin Trudeau acknowledges lack of proof linking India to Nijjar's killing

Trudeau told the inquiry that the murder was part of an even more extensive Indian operation, with Indian government representatives systematically targeting dissidents inside Canada, which is the home to the second largest population of Sikhs.

“Violence towards Canadians… has been enabled by and in many cases directed by the Indian government,” he said, adding that New Delhi had simply doubled down “on attacks against his government” when the charges were levelled following a police inquiry.

The Canadian leader's comments were the strongest he has made in the year-long dispute that plunged the bilateral relations to a new low. Trudeau said Ottawa could take further steps to ensure Canadians' security but declined to give details. While Canada does not want to pick “a fight with a significant trading partner”, the prime minister said he would not waver when “standing up for Canadian sovereignty”.

The two nations have shared a strong economic partnership over the years. In 2023-24, India's imports from Canada rose to $4.6 billion, while exports saw a marginal dip, falling to $3.8 billion. The bilateral merchandise trade grew slightly from $8.3 billion in 2022-23 to $8.4 billion. In 2023 (January-October), bilateral trade in goods amounted to $7.65 billion, with exports at $4.70 billion and imports at $2.95 billion.

India received $4 billion foreign direct investments from Canada during April 2000 and June 2024, while Canadian Pension Funds have cumulatively invested over $75 billion in India and are increasingly viewing it as a favourable destination for investments.

The MEA had said that over 600 Canadian companies are present in India and more than 1,000 companies are actively pursuing business in the Indian market.

Read: Strained India-Canada relations unlikely to impact long-term capital flows, say I-bankers

[With inputs from news agencies]