Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he had a “brief exchange” with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a summit in Laos this week, a year after he accused India’s government of involvement in the killing of a Canadian Sikh activist in B.C.
It’s the second time Trudeau’s come face to face with Modi since relations went cold in September 2023 after Trudeau rose in the House of Commons and said Canada was pursuing “credible allegations” of a link to India in the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Trudeau wouldn’t reveal exactly what he said to Modi at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, but said he told Modi there are real issues they need to solve.
“I emphasized that there is work that we need to do,” Trudeau told reporters at a press conference in Laos.
“I won’t go into details about what we talked about, but what I’ve said many times is that the safety of Canadians and upholding the rule of law is one of the fundamental responsibilities of any Canadian government, and that’s what I’ll stay focused on.”
Nijjar was gunned down by masked men outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia in June 2023. Four Indian nationals are accused of first-degree murder and conspiracy in connection to his murder. The high-profile case is currently working its way through Canadian courts.
Just yesterday, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly called Canada’s relations with India as “tense” and “very difficult” right now. She said there’s still a threat of more killings like Nijjar’s on Canadian soil.
Canadians’ safety top of mind: Trudeau
She testified at the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference that she’s been pushing for India to participate in the Canadian police investigation into Nijjar’s death, but so far that hasn’t happened and she’s concerned about the safety of other Canadians.
“We’re calling for co-operation from the Indian government because in the end, we want to hold all those who were involved in Nijjar’s murder responsible, and especially want to prevent any further murders, because the threat is there,” she said.
Asked by CBC News about that threat, Trudeau said Canadians’ safety is top of mind.
“We are seeing troubling patterns of violence affecting Indo-Canadians right across the country over the past number of months, and this is an issue that I can assure you that we will continue to be very, very seized with,” Trudeau said.
Trudeau made the comment at a press conference in Vientiane, Laos, after the ASEAN Summit wrapped up.
Modi also travelled to the summit and spoke to a series of world leaders, including meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, one of Canada’s Five Eyes intelligence alliance partners.
Modi did not have a bilateral meeting with Trudeau. The prime minister’s office wouldn’t share any details about exactly when and where at the summit Trudeau and Modi spoke.
Tensions between the Canadian and Indian governments are as high as ever after the arrest of three Indian nationals in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
India originally denied any involvement in the killing, called the allegation “absurd” and accused Canada of harbouring violent extremists.
Trudeau said Friday in Laos he stands behind his allegation. He said national security agencies and law enforcement “continue to be deeply engaged on this issue.”
“What I will say is that the statement I made around credible allegations of India’s involvement in the death of Canadian on Canadian soil continues to stand, that our responsibility as a government to keep Canadians safe in their homes and their communities right across the country remains one of the top preoccupations of this government,” he said.
U.S. investigating alleged assassination plot
After Canada came out with its allegations, the U.S. later reported it was investigating an alleged assassination plot with links to India and Nijjar.
An unsealed U.S. indictment in November 2023 alleged officials in New Delhi offered $100,000 to drug dealer Nikhil Gupta to hire a hitman to kill U.S-Canadian dual citizen and Sikh activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York. The U.S. indictment said the New Delhi officials also considered tasking Gupta with killing Nijjar.
India responded to the U.S. allegations by stating that it had launched an investigation — a reaction distinctly different from its response to Trudeau’s statement in the House of Commons. Bloomberg News reported in March that India’s investigation indicated “rogue operatives” not authorized by the government were involved in the U.S. case.
Trudeau wouldn’t comment on the difference between how India has responded to the U.S. allegations compared to Canadian allegations when asked by CBC News about it in Laos.
On the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time since Canada publicly accused India’s government of involvement in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The last time Trudeau and Modi spoke face to face was in June, on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy. The prime minister’s office described that exchange as a “brief discussion on the bilateral relationship” but wouldn’t share details.
Trudeau told CBC News in July he saw an opening to engage with India after Modi was re-elected. Trudeau said on Friday that Canada needs to “continue to develop our trade ties and our people-to-people ties, but there are real issues that we need to solve for and we’re going to stay focused on that.”
Trudeau is scheduled to testify at the ongoing Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Ottawa on Wednesday and could face more questions about threats from India.