Carney facing some Liberal pushback over Modi’s invitation to G7 summit

Prime Minister Mark Carney is facing some pushback from his caucus over Canada’s decision to invite the Indian prime minister to the G7 meeting in Alberta next week, with one Sikh MP saying it’s a bad idea.

B.C. MP Sukh Dhaliwal told reporters he met with Carney early Wednesday to express what he says are constituents’ frustrations with the decision to include Narendra Modi. Canadian police have alleged Indian agents were involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Canadian Khalistani separatist who was gunned down in B.C. in 2023.

Nijjar and others in that movement have been calling for an independent Sikh homeland in northern India called Khalistan, which Modi’s government has vigorously opposed and denounced as a national security threat.

The RCMP has clearly stated there’s credible evidence Indian agents were involved in the assassination of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil, Dhaliwal said of Nijjar. It’s a bad idea to include Modi in this high-profile get-together, he said.

WATCH | Modi coming is a ‘bad idea,’ Dhaliwal says:

Liberal MP says Modi coming to Canada is ‘a bad idea’

Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, B.C. Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal said he met with Prime Minister Mark Carney Wednesday morning to express concerns he says his constituents have with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi being invited to the upcoming G7 summit in Alberta.

Dhaliwal said Carney is alarmed by the Nijjar case and taking seriously what would be an egregious violation of Canadian sovereignty. Canada expelled some Indian diplomats after the allegations were made public.

A police investigation into alleged Indian involvement is ongoing but the government has already said there are linkages between the four Indian nationals arrested and charged with Nijjar’s murder and the Indian government.

Dhaliwal said Carney is very strong on the issue and will represent Sikh concerns about Indian interference and transnational crime when speaking to Modi.

I’m saying it’s not a good idea, but now he’s invited. We have to move forward, he said.

‘Our government needs to take a firm stand’

Another Liberal B.C. MP, Gurbux Saini, said his voters are concerned.

What is happening is wrong and our government needs to take a firm stand, he said of India’s alleged actions.

Beyond the Nijjar killing, the Foreign Interference Commission’s final report also identified India as a top meddler in Canadian affairs.

The commission reviewed intelligence suggesting Indian-aligned proxies may have clandestinely provided financial support to various Canadian politicians to try and get more pro-Indian candidates elected.

The report also found that India has used disinformation to further its goals in Canada.

Liberal MP Karina Gould, a past cabinet minister and leadership contender, said human rights should be on the agenda when Carney meets with Modi and if another controversial G7 invitee, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also decides to attend. Bin Salman has been tied to the killing of Saudi dissident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

I understand why they were invited. Part of diplomacy is having these conversations — you don’t shut the door to them, Gould said. But we’re also standing up for values that are important to Canadians.

WATCH | MPs asked about India, Saudi Arabia invites:

Liberal MPs asked about Carney inviting India, Saudi Arabia to G7 in Canada

Liberal MPs Yasir Naqvi, Ahmed Hussen, Rob Oliphant and Yvan Baker were asked Wednesday to share their thoughts on Prime Minister Mark Carney inviting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia to attend the upcoming G7 summit in Alberta.

The Modi invite is a sign Carney may be looking to reset relations with India after a particularly fractious period under the last Liberal government, said Fen Hampson, a professor of international affairs at Carleton University.

It’s sending a positive signal to the Indians that the Carney government wants to begin to turn the page on some of the frictions we saw during the Trudeau government and the difficulties they had with India, Hampson said in an interview with CBC News.

And there are signs India may be open to a rapprochement because Modi accepted the invitation immediately, Hampson said, unlike Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum who took days to consider whether to go or not.

India is the world’s fifth-largest economy, a major regional actor in the Indo-Pacific and an increasingly important player on the global stage, and bringing Modi here for the G7 is a way for Carney to signal he’s taking Canada’s foreign policy in a different direction, Hampson said.

The fact that this is a multilateral gathering that we’re hosting does give the prime minister some cover when it comes to domestic critics who feel Modi shouldn’t be invited. It would be very different if it was an invitation for a bilateral heads of government meeting in Ottawa. At least this can be done under the cloak of the G7, he said.

The push to diversify the economy is why other Liberal MPs were deferential to Carney and his decision to include Modi.

Canada is facing an economic crisis with U.S. relations at a low point, International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu said, and Canada needs to collaborate and work out some of the issues with India.

I think the G7 is an important avenue for the prime minister to discuss some economic collaboration, Sidhu said.

MP Yasir Naqvi, the parliamentary secretary to Sidhu, said there’s no excuse for the very serious allegations around extrajudicial killings, but the Carney and Modi face-to-face is a chance for Canada to demand India’s co-operation with the ongoing Canadian police investigation and to engage on the larger issue.

This only happens if there’s a relationship between our governments, Naqvi said.

WATCH | Conservative leader on Modi’s invitation:

Poilievre says Modi’s G7 invitation was ‘necessary’

5 days agoDuration0:55’We need to work with India,’ Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, said when asked if it’s appropriate for the Indian prime minister to come to Canada, as his government’s role in a B.C. killing is investigated.

And, as Carney looks to lessen Canada’s dependence on the U.S., there are opportunities for Canadian businesses in India, Naqvi said.

Canada is trying to open the door on relationships and say, ‘We need to diversify our trade vastly,’ added MP Rob Oliphant, the parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs.

The message to the world is Canada is a vibrant trading partner.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said earlier this week that India is one of the biggest and fastest-growing economies in the world. India is a promising potential market for Canadian liquefied natural gas and nuclear power technology, among other products, Poilievre said, and that sort of trade depends on improving relations.

We need to work with India … on trade and security, he said. The invitation is necessary.

WATCH | NDP MP slams invitations:

Modi’s invitation to Canada ‘deeply alarming,’ says NDP MP

NDP MP Heather McPherson joined colleagues on Parliament Hill to object to some of the foreign leaders invited to the G7 summit in Alberta, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, over his country’s alleged links to the 2023 killing of B.C. Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Meanwhile, NDP MP Heather McPherson said Modi’s inclusion is deeply alarming.

This government has consistently and very clearly chosen profits and the economy over human rights, over people, she said. Profit over people. That’s their mantra.

This article is republished from RCI.