Days after Trudeau ouster, MEA blames 'licence to extremists' for Canada ties 'downturn'

The relations between India and Canada deteriorated under the prime ministerial tenure of Mark Carney's predecessor Justin Trudeau.

Updated on: Mar 21, 2025, 20:39:43 IST

By HT News Desk

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India on Friday said that the downturn in its bilateral relations was caused due to the “license” to “extremist and secessionist elements” in the North American country.

“The downturn in India-Canada relations was caused by the license that was given to the extremist and secessionist elements in the country. Our hope is that we can rebuild our ties based on mutual trust and sensitivity,” ANI quoted ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal as saying.

ALSO READ: India, Canada resume talks to reset relations

The MEA spokesperson's remarks have come amid change of leadership in Ottawa, with Mark Carney replacing Justin Trudeau as the prime minister.

“What Canada will be looking to do is to diversify our trading relationships with like-minded countries. And there are opportunities to rebuild the relationships with India- there needs to be a shared sense of values around that commercial relationship and if I am the Prime Minister, I look forward to the opportunity to build that,” Carney had said ahead of his swearing-in.

ALSO READ: Canada: How Mark Carney's PM race victory could impact trade ties with India

A former central banker, Mark Carney was sworn in as Canada’s new prime minister on March 15.

India-Canada tensions under Trudeau

The relations between India and Canada deteriorated after Carney's predecessor Justin Trudeau in 2023 alleged the role of Indian government agents in the killing of pro-Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia.

India consistently denied the allegations, with the Ministry of External Affairs saying Canada has “presented us no evidence” in support of the serious allegations Ottawa chose to level against India and Indian diplomats.

After the controversy, both countries in a tit-for-tat move recalled their diplomats.

“The responsibility for the damage that this cavalier behaviour has caused to India-Canada relations lies with Prime Minister Trudeau alone,” the MEA said in December last year after Trudeau acknowledged that he had only intelligence and no “hard evidentiary proof” when he alleged the involvement of Indian government agents in Nijjar's killing.

(With PTI, ANI inputs)

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