Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau himself has accused India of being behind the shooting death of a Sikh man in Canada last June. Ottawa has accused New Delhi of assassinating the man. Ottawa has expelled the Indian diplomat in charge of intelligence at the Indian Embassy in Ottawa. New Delhi has denied Ottawa's accusations and retaliated by expelling a senior diplomat at the Canadian Embassy in New Delhi.
Previously, Mr. Trudeau went to India to attend the G20 Summit but suddenly decided to indefinitely suspend negotiations between Ottawa and New Delhi on a bilateral trade agreement.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
The current situation does not see any prospect of India-Canada relations improving or deteriorating any time soon. The reason is that the disagreement is a matter of principle for both sides and cannot be easily overcome.
This issue involves the large Sikh community in Canada and is a major constituency that Mr. Trudeau must appeal to. Sikhs in Canada have been campaigning and fighting for the establishment of an independent state in India, and many Sikhs in Canada are considered terrorists by New Delhi. Mr. Trudeau uses the argument of freedom of speech, peaceful assembly and protest to protect this community from New Delhi. New Delhi, on the other hand, believes that Ottawa tolerates and harbors Sikh organizations and elements that operate against the Indian state. Such contrasting understandings and interests are difficult to reconcile.
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