Carney invites Modi to G7, 1st visit to Canada since RCMP linked India to killings, extortion

Prime Minister Mark Carney has invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 summit later this month in Alberta. It will be his first visit to Canada since the RCMP accused his government of acts of murder, extortion and coercion.

According to a readout from the Prime Minister’s Office, the two leaders spoke Friday morning and Carney extended an invitation to the gathering in Kananaskis in just over a week.

“Importantly, there was agreement to continued law enforcement dialogue and discussions addressing security concerns,” read the statement from Carney’s side.

In a social media post Friday, Modi wrote that he looks forward to meeting at the summit. 

“As vibrant democracies bound by deep people-to-people ties, India and Canada will work together with renewed vigour, guided by mutual respect and shared interests,” he wrote.

Last fall, the head of the RCMP laid out allegations accusing agents of the Indian government of playing a role in “widespread violence” in Canada, including homicides, and warned that it poses “a serious threat to our public safety.”

RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme said his officers, working with other law enforcement agencies, have obtained evidence linking Indian government agents to homicides and other violent acts in Canada, including coercion and extortion.  

The RCMP’s comments came nearly a year after then-prime minister Justin Trudeau announced Canada had evidence linking Indian agents to the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. A Canadian citizen, Nijjar was a prominent local leader in the Khalistan movement pushing for the creation of an independent Sikh state in India.

New Delhi has denied the allegations. Four Indian nationals are accused in the alleged assassination plot and their cases are before a B.C. court. 

Leaders from the G7 countries — Canada, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States — along with the president of the European Commission are heading to Alberta for high-level meetings June 16 and 17.

Sikh group calls invite a ‘betrayal’

Other leaders are often invited for side meetings. Modi, head of one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, has been invited to every G7 leaders’ summit since 2019.

Carney has been under pressure to break with that tradition, and his decision to invite Modi garnered swift condemnation.

The World Sikh Organization of Canada said the decision has caused “outrage and pain” within the Sikh community across Canada.

WATCH | The Fifth Estate examines the Nijjar case:  

A U.S. indictment bolstered Justin Trudeau’s claim that the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada was carried out by the Indian government. We speak to other alleged targets and give exclusive insight into the plot.

“For Sikhs in Canada, this is a betrayal, not just of our community, but of core Canadian values,” said president Danish Singh in a statement,

“Carney’s decision to invite Narendra Modi, while India continues to deny any role in the assassination of Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar and refuses to co-operate with Canadian authorities, is both shameful and dangerous.”

Canada has shown a willingness to thaw relations with India.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said she had a “productive discussion” with her Indian counterpart last month on “deepening our economic co-operation and advancing shared priorities.” 

During the recent federal election campaign, Carney called the Canadian-Indian relationship “incredibly important.”

“There are strains on that relationship that we didn’t cause, to be clear,” he said. “But there is a path forward to address those with mutual respect.”