Trudeau’s Bid to Isolate India Over Khalistan Terrorist’s Death Fails as Close Allies Stay Silent

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s attempts to diplomatically corner India over allegations of the involvement of “agents of government” in the death of Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar appear to have fallen short, as several of Canada’s “closest allies” refrained from condemning New Delhi over the incident.

Earlier today, Trudeau reportedly briefed leaders of some of Canada’s key allies, including UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, and US President Joe Biden, on the matter. However, the responses from these leaders varied.

While Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese did not express his opinion on the incident, a spokesperson for his British counterpart, Rishi Sunak, emphasized that the UK government’s priority is to secure a trade deal with India.

Meanwhile, US officials indicated that they have been in close contact with their Canadian counterparts regarding the issue and expressed being “quite concerned” about the allegations.

During a press conference in Canberra on Tuesday, a reporter asked Albanese whether he had personally raised concerns with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at this month’s G20 meeting in India regarding the death of the Khalistan terrorist.

In response, Albanese deflected, stating, “Seriously, you should chill out a bit. We were at a venue where Bruce Springsteen played the last time I was there. And I made the point that the reception he got from the community… the Indian diaspora welcomed him very strongly, it’s as simple as that.”

Albanese continued, “I welcome Prime Minister Modi to Australia as I welcome other guests to Australia. I have had the privilege of being at the G20 hosted by India. That was a major event which signalled in part the rise of countries in our region.”

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Despite his refusal to comment directly on the issue, Foreign Minister Penny Wong conveyed Australia’s “deep concern” about allegations of a potential link between the Indian government and the killing of the 45-year-old terrorist.

Similarly, the spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak emphasized that the incident would not impact ongoing trade negotiations with India.

The US State Department expressed concern about the allegations and urged India to cooperate fully with the investigation.

As these diplomatic interactions continue, the issue remains a subject of international debate, with Canada’s efforts to rally support for its stance yet to yield the expected results.