‘I’m under protection…Canada cannot..,’ India’s new high commissioner to Canada slams Justin Trudeau, takes dig at Khalistan supporters
India-Canada relations are slowly coming back to normal. Earlier on Monday, India and Canada unveiled an ambitious roadmap to boost cooperation in areas of trade, critical minerals and energy as Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar as part of efforts to rebuild ties that came under severe strain following the killing of a Sikh separatist in 2023.
Now, as per the latest updates, Dinesh K.Patnaik, India’s new High Commissioner to Canada, was asked by CTV News, a Canadian television outlet, to respond to allegations made by the government of Canada and former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about Indian diplomats involved in murders and extortion cases.
On the contrary, Dinesh K. Patnaik, the High Commissioner, shared that recent discussions between India and Canada have revolved around “the entire security situation,” which, he insisted, included discussion around the Sikh separatist movement.
In an exclusive televised interview with CTV Question Period, airing on Sunday, Patnaik stated, “What we are talking about now are the different security scenarios that is happening in this country.”
“Security scenarios where there is a group of people who are actually terrorizing, keeping the relationship under hostage,” he stated, as reported by CTV News. “How do we deal with them? How do we deal with the law-and-order situation?”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his administration have always denounced the pro-Khalistan movement, which is campaigning for a Sikh independent state within India, while simultaneously have criticized Canada for not taking a firm stance against Sikh separatism on its soil. In 2023, Trudeau denied these allegations.
“They are wrong,” he said at the time. “Canada has always taken extremely seriously violence and threats of violence. We have always taken serious action against terrorism, and we always will.”
While talking to host Vassy Kapelos, Patnaik touched on “the bigger discussions,” which he stated center on the safety of Canadians in India.
“Canada cannot look at this situation as an Indian problem. It’s a Canadian problem. There are Canadians who are creating this problem,” stated Patnaik.
“I find it strange that a high commissioner here has to be under protection,” he also said. “I’m under protection. I should not be under protection in a country like this.”
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