New Delhi: India has taken a veiled dig at former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, attributing the downturn in India-Canada relations to Ottawa’s soft stance on extremist elements.
Addressing a weekly press briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal remarked, “The downturn in India-Canada relations was caused by the license that was given to the extremist and secessionist elements in the country.”
Tensions between the two nations escalated following the killing of Khalistan supporter Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Trudeau had alleged in the Canadian Parliament that his government possessed “credible allegations” of India’s involvement in Nijjar’s death claims that New Delhi has strongly denied.
Despite the diplomatic strain, Jaiswal expressed hope for restoring ties. “Our hope is that we can rebuild our ties based on mutual trust and sensitivity,” he said.
MEA Responds to Ranjani Srinivasan’s Departure
The MEA also addressed reports concerning Ranjani Srinivasan, who recently left the United States and is believed to have traveled to Canada. The ministry clarified that she has not reached out to Indian diplomatic missions for assistance.
“We are not aware of her getting in touch with our consulate or our embassy for any help. We only came to know of her departure from the United States through media reports, and through the media reports, we understand that she has gone to Canada,” Jaiswal stated.
Relations between India and Canada remain tense as New Delhi continues to demand concrete evidence from Ottawa regarding its allegations while urging action against anti-India Khalistani groups operating in Canada.