NEW DELHI: Asking Canada to desist from making any comments justifying “extremist activism,” India said on Friday recent remarks by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other leaders in the ongoing protests by farmers amounted to interference in the internal affairs of India.
Such actions, if continued, would have a seriously damaging impact on ties between India and Canada, the government said in a statement.
This was after the MEA summoned Canadian High Commissioner Nadir Patel and handed him a motion for the apparent show of support for farmers’ right to protest by Canadian leaders. The ministry had not named Trudeau in its previous response.
“We hope that the Canadian government guarantees maximum security for Indian diplomatic personnel and their political leaders refrain from pronouncements that legitimize extremist activism,” he said.
Apart from Trudeau, various Sikh ministers had voiced support for the “fundamental right” of farmers to protest. Addressing the Sikh community, Trudeau described the situation in Delhi as “worrying” and said Canada will always be there to support the right to peaceful protest.
A defiant Trudeau, when asked about MEA summoning Patel, reiterated that Canada will always defend the right to peacefully protest and human rights anywhere in the world and that Canada was pleased to see “movements toward de-escalation and dialogue.” When asked specifically about India’s threat that his comments may damage bilateral relations, he said again that Canada will always support the right to peacefully protest.
There were also reports that Chancellor S Jaishankar was going to skip a meeting with his Canadian counterpart Francois-Philippe Champagne to cooperate in the fight against Covid-19. MEA neither confirmed nor denied it.
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