There was no significant discussion between PM Narendra Modi and Justin Trudeau in Vientiane

Government sources said that although India values its ties with Canada, they cannot be restored unless Ottawa takes concrete action against Khalistan separatists. PM Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau did not have a substantial talk in Vientiane.

Prior to this, Trudeau had claimed to have had a short conversation with Modi during which he emphasized that both parties needed to put in effort in the relationship.

In response to Trudeau’s statements, official sources stated that India still expects that activities supporting anti-India Khalistani groups will not be permitted to occur on Canadian soil and that strong action—which has not been taken yet—will be taken against individuals who promote violence, extremism, and terrorism against India from Canadian territory.

Canada should also be concerned about the increasing connections between these forces and organized crime, drug trafficking, and human trafficking, the government said.

“India attaches importance to relations with Canada but these cannot be repaired unless the Canadian govt takes strict and verifiable action against those who actively pursue anti-India activities and have conspired to promote hate, disinformation, communal disharmony, and violence in India as well as Canada,” it stated. In his speech, Trudeau had also mentioned the need to settle “real issues” between the two nations.

“I won’t go into the details, but what I have said many times is that safety of Canadians and upholding rule of law is one of the fundamental responsibilities of any Canadian govt, and that’s what I’ll stay focused on,” he said after the conversation with Modi.