Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday that Ottawa relayed its concerns about the Indian farmers’ protest to New Delhi, but the Foreign Ministry dismissed his comments as “unjustified” as they concerned the internal affairs of the country.
Trudeau made the remarks while taking part in a Facebook video interaction hosted by Canadian MP Bardish Chagger to mark Guruparb or the 551st birthday of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion. The event was joined by Canadian Ministers Navdeep Bains and Harjit Sajjan and members of the Sikh community.
In his opening remarks during the interaction, Trudeau said: “I would be remiss if I did not start by also acknowledging the news coming from India about the farmers’ protest. The situation is worrying and we are all very concerned about family and friends.
“I know it is a reality for many of you. Let me remind you that Canada will always be there to defend the right to peaceful protest. We believe in the importance of dialogue and that is why we have communicated through multiple means directly with the Indian authorities to highlight our concerns ”.
Hours later, Foreign Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said in a short statement: “We have seen some misinformed comments from Canadian leaders related to farmers in India. Such comments are unjustified, especially when they refer to the internal affairs of a democratic country. ”
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Srivastava added: “It is also better that diplomatic talks are not misrepresented for political purposes.”
People familiar with the events said, on condition of anonymity, that Trudeau’s comments appeared to be directed at the influential Canadian Indian diaspora.
Trudeau also touched on the Covid-19 pandemic, saying this “is a time for all of us to come together.” He added: “We will be there to continue working together as we are there to help each other.” He also said it was important to remember Guru Nanak’s teachings of compassion, equality and selfless service, which are at the heart of Sikhism and Canadian values.
Trudeau is probably the first world leader to comment on the Indian farmers’ protest, which entered its fifth day on Monday. The protest is directed against a set of laws to liberalize agricultural trade and open agricultural markets. The Union government has offered talks to protesters camping on the New Delhi borders, but they have insisted on repealing the laws.
The comments were not viewed favorably in New Delhi, especially at a time when both India and Canada have been taking steps to restore normality to bilateral ties that were affected by Trudeau’s perceived weakness towards pro-Khalistan activists in Canada. during his first term.
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