Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has, perhaps for the first time, admitted the presence of Khalistani elements in the country, but added that they do not represent the Sikh community as a whole.
Trudeau reportedly made the statement on November 4 while addressing the Indian diaspora at a Diwali event in Ottawa.
"There are many supporters of Khalistan in Canada but they do not represent the Sikh community as a whole. There is no room for violence or intolerance or intimidation... That is not who we are," he was quoted as saying.
Notably, his remarks came a day after pro-Khalistan activists attacked devotees at Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton. Trudeau had condemned the attack, but refused to underscore the involvement of Khalistani elements in the incident.
In his Diwali speech, Trudeau also sought to assert that the supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Canada do not represent Hindus as a whole.
“There are supporters of the Modi government in Canada, but they do not represent all Hindu Canadians as a whole," he said.
The relations between India and Canada have nosedived since the killing of Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June, 2023 with Ottawa alleging the potential involvement of Indian agents.
The diplomatic standoff escalated further last month after Trudeau tried to link the Indian high commissioner in Ottawa in the probe into the killing of Nijjar.
The two countries expelled at least half a dozen diplomats while New Delhi maintained that Canada’s charges against Sanjay Kumar Verma were "preposterous imputations" and a "political agenda of the Trudeau government that is centred around vote bank politics."
