PM Modi not invited to G7 summit, is everything over in India-Canada relations or is there still hope, who is creating hurdles?
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The shadow of the tense relations between India and Canada is going to fall on the G7 summit this time. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is unlikely to attend the summit this time. People familiar with the matter have given this information. The Mark Carney government of Canada is going to host the G7 summit this time on June 15-17 at Kananaskis Resort in Alberta. Canada has not yet sent an invitation to PM Modi to attend the summit. Apart from this, the Mark Carney administration has not made any preparations to resume India-Canada relations.
India and Canada relations became tense when in September 2023, former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that agents of the Indian government were involved in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar was shot dead in Surrey, Canada in June 2023. India rejected Trudeau’s allegations as absurd. After this, both the countries later expelled each other’s diplomats.
Relations will not improve due to Canada
When the Liberal Party led by Mark Carney won the Canadian election in April this year, there was hope of improvement in bilateral relations with India. Recently, Canada’s new Foreign Minister Anita Anand spoke to India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar over the phone. However, people familiar with the matter say that Canada has not yet prepared all the grounds to move things forward. At present, the situation is that for the first time in six years, Prime Minister Modi will probably not attend the G7 summit.
A Hindustan Times report quoted a person familiar with the matter as saying that the meeting between the top leadership would have increased the hopes of success, but more work is needed to re-establish relations. People familiar with the matter say that positive messages have been exchanged between New Delhi and Ottawa in private, but this does not mean that PM Modi will travel for the G-7 summit.
Khalistani activities in Canada
India’s major concern is the activities of Khalistani elements in Canada. Pro-Khalistan elements may join the protests during any high-level visit from the Indian side. Canadian media has said that pro-Khalistan groups have put pressure on the Carney government not to send an invitation to PM Modi. India has been invited to the G-7 summit for the last several years. PM Modi has been participating in it continuously since 2019. In such a situation, all eyes are on Canada.
