India hopes Canada to take action against extremist elements, says MEA spokesperson

A day after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau softened his tone saying that he does not want a fight right now over the issue of the Nijjar killing but to work with India in advancing the Indo-Pacific strategy, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday that India is expecting Canada to take action against extremist elements

Trudeau on Wednesday in an interview with CBC said “We don’t want to be in a situation of fighting with India right now over this. We want to be working on that trade deal. We want to be advancing the Indo-Pacific strategy,”.

"India's position is consistent on the issue of Canada as it is hoping that Ottawa would take action on extremist elements that are misusing the freedom of speech and expression in their country, Bagchi said.

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Addressing a weekly media briefing on Thursday, Bagchi said India has always highlighted that the core issue remains the space given to extremists, terrorists and anti-India elements in Canada.

Asked about Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's remarks that he has seen a tonal shift in India's relations with Canada after the US reported an alleged murder plot, Arindam Bagchi said, "I'm not exactly sure how to answer it.

In this sense, this is a comment by the Prime Minister of Canada and I wouldn't like to comment on that. But I think our position has been quite consistent and whenever this has been raised.

"Notably, the ties between India and Canada have been strained after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made allegations about India being involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India has outrightly rejected the allegations terming them "absurd" and "politically motivated."

"I think we have highlighted how we see the problem and frankly the core issue remains the space that is given to extremists and terrorists and anti-India elements in that country. I think you would heard from the External Affairs Minister recently as well as others about the developments of that case and the fact that if there's something that we look into it but the core of it, the problem remains this. So I would like to say whether they have noted a shift or not. Certainly, our position has remained consistent and we would hope that they would take action on such extremist elements that are misusing the freedom of speech and expression in their country," he added.

Trudeau has said he believes India's relations with Canada might have undergone "a tonal shift" in the days since the unsealing of a US indictment alleging a conspiracy to murder India-designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil, Canada-based CBC News reported.

Trudeau made the remarks in an end-of-year interview with the CBC's Rosemary Barton. He said the US indictment seems to have convinced the Indian government to adopt a more sober tone, as reported by CBC News.

"I think there is a beginning of an understanding that they can't bluster their way through this and there is an openness to collaborating in a way that perhaps they were less open before," he said.

With inputs from agencies.