Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says he has extracted a promise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi that India will cooperate with an investigation into the murder of Canadian Sikh Hardip Singh Nijjar.
The promise came after a conversation between the two prime ministers, a leading Canadian daily, Toronto Star, reported.
Carney insisted that “the Indian prime minister agreed to continue the law enforcement dialogue. So there’s been some progress on that. It recognises issues of accountability,” per the paper.
A source in Canada’s ruling Liberal Party told the Toronto Star that Modi did not immediately agree to cooperating with the law-enforcement agencies and asked for time to think it over.
Carney, who is a novice in politics, became the Canadian prime minister after a tightly fought election in March. He was formerly the governor of the Bank of England and before that the governor of the Bank of Canada. He is widely thought to have strong economic skills.
Leaving India out of the G7 meeting was, Carney believed, not a good idea. He felt, says the Star, that Modi’s presence was needed for “important discussions on energy, security, digital future, critical minerals amongst others, and partnerships actually in building infrastructure in the emerging and developing world.”
Carney felt that India is, “at the heart of a number of those supply chains. So it makes sense.”
The G7 Summit this year has been complicated by the presence of US President Donald Trump and the fights he has picked with various world leaders. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum only confirmed on Monday that she would attend the G7 summit. She also insisted that she expected to meet Trump.
Carney and Trump’s relationship is also slightly shaky though Trump is talking much less about Canada being the 51st state. Trump himself will be a tricky guest and Carney will have to perform a delicate tightrope walk over the next few days.
The talks are being held at Kananaskis in Alberta province, an extremely beautiful location in the shadow of Canada’s Rockies. Intense security is being drawn up for the world leaders who are attending.
India has denied all knowledge of the Nijjar killing. Canada believes that India hired members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to carry out the killing. National security advisor Ajit Doval held talks with his Canadian counterpart in Singapore last October.
Unsurprisingly, several Sikh extremist groups are already planning demonstrations at any public appearances that Modi makes in Canada.
India, for its part, insists it will ask for the extradition of 26 wanted Sikh extremists and for action against leading players in the Khalistan movement. India has always been unhappy because it feels that Canada has been too tolerant to the Sikh extremists.
The Canadians argue that free speech cannot be curbed. India points to the fact that only one person was convicted for the bombing of AI 182 Kanishka in which 329 people died.
India and Canada began efforts to improve relations soon after Carney became prime minister. Last year both sides had held a round of tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions after the Nijjar killing.
