India has summoned the Canadian High Commissioner to formally file a complaint against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s comments on ongoing farmer protests, warning that “such actions will have a seriously damaging impact on ties.”
New Delhi told the envoy that “the comments of the Canadian prime minister, some cabinet ministers and members of parliament on issues related to Indian farmers constitute unacceptable interference in our internal affairs,” according to a statement issued Friday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Exteriors of India. (MEA).
“These comments have encouraged meetings of extremist activities in front of our High Commission and Consulates in Canada that raise safety and security issues. We hope that the Canadian government guarantees maximum security for Indian diplomatic personnel and that its political leaders will refrain from pronouncements that legitimize extremist activism.
Speaking at an online event to mark the 551st anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, the Canadian leader said earlier this week that the news from India was “worrying” and that his country would “always be there. to defend rights “. of peaceful protest ”.
New Delhi had denounced Trudeau’s comments, calling them “unjustified”.
“We have seen some misinformed comments from Canadian leaders regarding farmers in India. Such comments are unjustified, especially when they concern the internal affairs of a democratic country, “MEA spokesman Anurag Srivastava said Tuesday.
Thousands of farmers have been protesting outside the Indian capital, New Delhi, for more than a week, demanding that the controversial agricultural laws enacted by the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi be lifted.
Farmers fear that the minimum support price (MSP), the price at which the government buys agricultural products, will be phased out and left at the mercy of private actors.
‘Important for interference in the sovereign affairs of India’
Some Indians, including politicians, have strongly opposed comments from foreign leaders or officials about the problems facing the country.
In March, New Delhi criticized the United Nations human rights body after it filed a petition against its controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which critics say discriminates against Muslims, India’s largest minority.
“The CAA is an internal matter of India and refers to the sovereign right of the Indian Parliament to make laws. We firmly believe that no foreign party has any locus standi [rights] on issues relating to the sovereignty of India, ”said then-India MEA spokesman Raveesh Kumar in a statement on March 3.
Several politicians from the UK, Canada, Australia and the US have expressed solidarity with Indian farmers in recent days and have criticized the Modi government’s handling of the biggest protests in years.
But Trudeau became the first head of a country to comment on the issue that has put the Modi government on the defensive.
On Tuesday, #Canada was trending on Twitter when Indians shared their views on social media following Trudeau’s comments.
Thousands of farmers have been picketing the outskirts of the Indian capital, New Delhi, for more than a week, demanding the removal of controversial agricultural laws enacted by the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. [Danish Siddiqui/Reuters]
Ram Madhav, leader of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), tweeted that the Canadian prime minister’s comments were “amounting to interference in the sovereign affairs of India.”
Indian politicians have accused Canadian leaders, including current Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan, of having ties to Khalistani groups, believed to have been behind an armed rebellion in the state of Punjab during the 1980s by a state. Sikh separated. Sajjan has denied the allegations.
The Khalistani issue overshadowed Trudeau’s visit to India in 2018, during which the Modi government despised the Canadian prime minister, known for his strident anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim policies.
Canada is home to a large number of Indian immigrants, mostly from the state of Punjab, where most of the current protesters have farms. Trudeau has been hailed for his pro-immigrant policy and has added four ministers of Indian origin to his cabinet, three of whom are from the minority Sikh community.
Modi has defended the controversial laws and accused opposition parties of misleading farmers, calling the bills “anti-farmer.” His government says the new laws will bring much-needed private investment to the crisis-hit agricultural sector.
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