Sikh groups ask Carney to withdraw Indian PM Modi's invitation to G7 summit
OTTAWA — Sikh groups are calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to revoke his invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the G7 summit in Alberta next week.
Representatives of the World Sikh Organization of Canada and the Sikh Federation Canada told a press conference in Ottawa on Thursday they want a public inquiry into India's foreign interference and transnational oppression.
They said Modi's invitation should be withdrawn unless India co-operates with ongoing investigations and promises to stop interfering in Canadian affairs and targeting Sikhs in Canada.
"This is a Canadian issue but it doesn't feel as though this is being treated like a Canadian issue," said Balpreet Singh, spokesman for the World Sikh Organization of Canada.
"It's being treated as though it's just those brown people. It's just the Sikhs, and if a foreign government's killing them or threatening them or surveilling them, it's OK. We'll invite the prime minister and we'll have a weekend in the mountains and we'll chat."
The groups are also asking the Liberal government to immediately stop any intelligence-sharing with India.
Former prime minister Justin Trudeau and the RCMP have linked agents of the Indian government to the 2023 murder of a Canadian Sikh separatist activist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Surrey, B.C.
The head of a public inquiry into foreign political interference last year reported that China and India are among the primary actors behind foreign interference operations targeting Canada.
Both Balpreet Singh and Sikh Federation Canada spokesman Moninder Singh cited a Global News report that says an Indian agent had former NDP leader Jagmeet Singh under "close surveillance."
Global News reported that Jagmeet Singh was surveilled by a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, a criminal organization the RCMP have accused of orchestrating violence in Canada on behalf of the Indian government.
In April, Jagmeet Singh revealed that he received a "duty to warn" from the RCMP in December 2023 because of a credible threat to his life.
Gurratan Singh, Jagmeet Singh's younger brother, told The Canadian Press his family suspected India was behind the threat but never received confirmation.
"(Jagmeet) had to live under 24-hour security because of this risk, a risk that was so palpable and so real that his daughter was born under the shadow of this threat in a hospital that was swarming with RCMP and a security presence to prevent this potential threat," he said.
"It's not just incredibly shocking but it feels like we are leaving behind those individuals in Canada whose life is at risk right now."
Gurratan Singh said his understanding is that his brother — because he is a private citizen now — won't receive that kind of protection if there is another threat to his life. The Canadian Press has reached out to the RCMP for clarification but has not heard back.
"If Jagmeet Singh, who is the highest-profile Sikh in Canada, isn't safe, then what does that mean for the rest of us? And this isn't a one-off," Balpreet Singh said.
Moninder Singh said he has received "multiple" warnings from the RCMP over the past several years.
"The conversation is swift. You're told that there is a duty to warn against you of imminent assassination. It's the terms that have been used with me every time I've received one," he said.
Moninder Singh said he was out of his home for about five months after one warning about an assassination threat.
"Our kids are seeing this stuff on social media. They see that Sikhs and Sikh leadership is being targeted. And they have these questions in their minds now as to what the value of life is in Canada for them," he said.
Balpreet Singh said he spoke with an unnamed Sikh politician who suggested Sikhs in public life have good reasons to avoid speaking out about threats to Canadians from a foreign government.
"I said, 'Speaking out at this time is important. In fact, we'll ensure that these threats are neutralized.' And the answer I got was chilling. He said, 'Jagmeet got targeted because he spoke out. Why would anyone put themselves in that position?'" he said.
"Imagine what that means to our democracy, when there are elected representatives within the House of Commons who are afraid to speak because of implications that may have for their safety or their family's safety," NDP MP Heather McPherson said.
"That means that any member of Parliament could be silenced. And the minute we start being silenced by a foreign government, that's foreign interference."
The G7 runs from June 15 to 17 in Kananaskis, Alta. The two-year anniversary of Nijjar's murder is on June 18.
Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Sikh members of the Liberal caucus Wednesday to talk about Modi's invitation.
Before and after the meeting, B.C. Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal called the invitation a "bad idea." Dhaliwal said that he'd heard from hundreds of people opposed to Modi coming to the G7.
Following that meeting, Dhaliwal said that Carney is "alarmed" about the issues raised and will be "very strong" in dealing with them.
"We're hearing that they trust the prime minister and they understand that progress has to be made on this file. But frankly, it's all wishy-washy," Balpreet Singh said.
"It's all up in the air, and we've heard this before. So without the concrete steps that we've described, there's really nothing to assure us that this is being taken seriously."
Moninder Singh said several protests are being planned across the country in response to Modi coming to Canada.
He said that a large anti-Modi rally is being planned for Parliament Hill this Saturday. More events are planned throughout the week in Surrey, B.C., starting with a commemoration of Nijjar's life.
Additional protests are planned for Banff and Calgary, which are both close to the G7 site.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2025.
David Baxter, The Canadian Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
18 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
As Trump heads to the G7, Canada hopes to avoid another Charlevoix-style eruption
OTTAWA - U.S. President Donald Trump is set to arrive Sunday in Alberta for the G7 summit — his first visit to Canada since leaving in a huff seven years ago. Ottawa could use everything from golfing and creative scheduling to special cabinet orders to make the visit successful and avoid a repeat diplomatic disaster. 'He is somebody who is very prickly when he feels like he's not being fully respected,' said Eric Miller, president of Rideau Potomac Strategy Group, a cross-border consultancy. 'You want to make absolutely sure that … he walks away and says, 'You know, those Canadians aren't so bad after all.'' Better than last time The last time Trump was in Canada — for the G7 summit in the Charlevoix region of Quebec — things ended in a blowout. Trump refused to sign the communiqué, the published list of statements on common G7 issues that are mostly negotiated and agreed to by member nations ahead of time. He left early and lambasted Trudeau as 'very dishonest and weak' in a spat over tariffs. The summit included what Miller called the 'photograph for the ages' — of then German chancellor Angela Merkel and others standing sternly over a seated Donald Trump, who appeared to be glaring back with crossed arms. German Ambassador to Canada Matthias Lüttenberg put it bluntly when he told a June 4 panel that Ottawa was again navigating 'very difficult circumstances' as G7 chair — and capably, in his view. 'I mean, I wouldn't like to negotiate with a country at the table who's questioning my sovereignty as a state,' he said. Sen. Peter Boehm, who was summit head in 2018, recalled two late nights of negotiations because the Trump administration didn't align with the others on including climate change or references to the 'rules-based international order.' Informal talks Prime Minister Mark Carney won office in April after repeatedly saying he could stand up to Trump's threats to ruin the Canadian economy in order to make the country an American state. Carney had a cordial visit to Washington in early May and even got praise from Trump on social media and in person, despite the president insisting Canada should still become a U.S. state. The two have continued talking. U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra revealed earlier this month that the president and Carney have exchanged frequent calls and texts on trade and tariffs. Miller said facetime between the two leaders in Alberta could help them make progress on economic concerns, as well as Trump's pitch to bring Canada into his proposed Golden Dome missile shield project. 'Given that there is this conversation underway, it is important that they have an opportunity to continue that, and to meet perhaps in a setting that is less structured and formal than the Oval Office,' Miller said. 'Life is about imperfect choices, and it's absolutely the right thing to have Mr. Trump come to Canada.' He said he's not sure if there will be any formal announcement, though he added Trump is keen to sign agreements with multiple countries ahead of his self-imposed July 9 deadline for so-called retaliatory tariffs. Miller said both Canada and the U.S. are likely to take credit for Ottawa announcing this month it will drastically speed up its pledge to meet NATO's defence spending target. Trump might also take note of the fact that he's in one of the few provinces that have opted to resume sales of U.S. alcohol, after all provinces banned it from their liquor store shelves in response to U.S. tariffs. Lower expectations Ottawa's decision to schedule relatively short group discussions among G7 leaders, and to invite numerous other world leaders, could mean more of the one-on-one meetings that Trump prefers. 'Trump does not like multilateral meetings particularly. He loses interest,' Boehm said. Canadian officials have said they are focused on releasing shorter, focused statements — which could avoid the kind of major blowups that could come from trying to craft the kind of massive joint communiqué that has concluded almost all other G7 summits. Former prime minister Jean Chretien told a panel Thursday that if Trump does have an outburst, G7 leaders should ignore him and 'keep talking normally.' Miller said that for Canada, 'ensuring a positive agenda that doesn't lead to acrimony afterwards' means advancing its interests without isolating the U.S., particularly with so many guest leaders attending. 'The trick that Mr. Carney has to pull off is to reassure the U.S. that it wants a good, positive relationship — while at the same time running vigorously, as quickly as possible, to try to build new relationships,' he said. It's also entirely possible that Trump will leave before the meetings conclude. A visiting felon Keeping it positive is also likely why Ottawa will skirt rules that might bar Trump from crossing into Canada after he was found guilty on 34 criminal counts in a 'hush money' trial in May 2024. Immigration lawyers say those convicted of serious crimes abroad must serve their time and wait five years before seeking a certificate of admissibility to Canada, though there are loopholes if someone seeks a visa for a compelling reason. The federal cabinet passed a formal order published in February that gives diplomatic immunity and privileges to 'representatives of a foreign state that participate in the G7 meetings.' Fore! Another way Canada could ensure a successful visit could be to get Trump to the Kananaskis Country Golf Course — a prospect much discussed in media reports that remained unconfirmed as of Friday afternoon. Carney gave Trump a hat and golf gear from that course during his visit to the Oval Office in May. Miller said that wasn't just a gimmick — Trump loves making deals while teeing off, and it could provide Carney or others with hours of facetime on a golf cart, which is Trump's comfort zone. 'Golf has been pretty central to his life,' he said. 'It makes eminent sense to have Mr. Trump playing at a high-quality golf course.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2025.
Los Angeles Times
21 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
As Trump goes to G7 summit, other world leaders aim to show they're not intimidated
WASHINGTON — President Trump has long bet that he can scare allies into submission — a gamble that is increasingly being tested ahead of the Group of Seven summit beginning Monday in Canada. He's threatened stiff tariffs in the belief that other nations would crumple. He's mused about taking over Canada and Greenland. He's suggested he will not honor NATO's obligations to defend partners under attack. And he's used Oval Office meetings to try to intimidate the leaders of Ukraine and South Africa. But many world leaders see fewer reasons to be cowed by Trump, even as they recognize the risks if he followed through on his threats. They believe he will ultimately back down — since many of his plans could inflict harm on the U.S. — or that he can simply be charmed and flattered into cooperating. 'Many leaders still seem intimidated by Trump, but increasingly they are catching on to his pattern of bullying,' said Jeremy Shapiro, research director at the European Council on Foreign Relations. 'In places as diverse as Canada, Iran, China and the EU, we are seeing increasing signs that leaders now recognize that Trump is afraid of anything resembling a fair fight. And so they are increasingly willing to stand up to him.' In the 22 instances in which Trump has publicly threatened military action since his first term, the U.S. only used force twice, according to a May analysis by Shapiro. Ahead of the G7 summit, there are already signs of subtle pushback against Trump from fellow leaders in the group. French President Emanuel Macron planned to visit Greenland over the weekend in a show of European solidarity. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said the U.S. is no longer the 'predominant' force in the world after Trump's tariffs created fissures in a decades-long partnership between the U.S. and its northern neighbor. 'We stood shoulder to shoulder with the Americans throughout the Cold War and in the decades that followed, as the United States played a predominant role on the world stage,' Carney said this past week in French. 'Today, that predominance is a thing of the past.' The new prime minister added that with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the U.S. became the global hegemon, a position of authority undermined by Trump's transactional nature that puts little emphasis on defending democratic values or the rule of law. 'Now the United States is beginning to monetize its hegemony: charging for access to its markets and reducing its relative contributions to our collective security,' Carney said. Israel's attack on Iran has added a new wrinkle to the global picture as the summit leaders gather to tackle some of the world's thorniest problems. A senior Canadian official said it was decided early on that the G7 won't be issuing a joint communiqué as it has at past summits — an indication of how hard it can be to get Trump on the same page with other world leaders. The White House said individual leader statements will be issued on the issues being discussed. Speaking last month at a conference in Singapore, Macron called France a 'friend and an ally of the United States' but pushed back against Trump's desire to dominate what other countries do. Macron said efforts to force other nations to choose between the U.S. and China would lead to the breakdown of the global order put in place after World War II. 'We want to cooperate, but we do not want to be instructed on a daily basis what is allowed, what is not allowed, and how our life will change because of the decision of a single person,' Macron said. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba pushed back against Trump's agenda of levying higher tariffs on imported goods, arguing it would hurt economic growth. The Japanese leader specifically called Trump ahead of the summit to confirm their plans to talk on the sidelines, which is a greater focus for Japan than the summit itself. 'I called him as I also wanted to congratulate his birthday, though one day earlier,' Ishiba said. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, said the summit was an opportunity for Trump to 'mend' relationships with other countries so China would be unable to exploit differences among the G7. She said other foreign leaders are 'not intimidated' by Trump's actions, which could be driving them away from tighter commitments with the U.S. 'The conversations that I've had with those leaders suggest that they think that the partnership with the United States has been really important, but they also understand that there are other opportunities,' Shaheen said. The White House did not respond to emailed questions for this story. Having originally made his reputation in real estate and hospitality, Trump has taken kindly to certain foreign visitors, such as U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Starmer has sought to keep Trump in line with Europe in supporting Ukraine and NATO instead of brokering any truces that would favor Russia. He has echoed the president's language about NATO members spending more on defense. But in his Oval Office visit, Starmer also pleased Trump by delivering an invite for a state visit from King Charles III. The German government said it, too, wanted to send a public signal of unity, saying that while Trump's recent meeting with Merz at the White House went harmoniously, the next test is how the relationship plays out in a team setting. There will also be other world leaders outside of the G7 nations attending the summit in mountainous Kananaskis, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom Trump dressed down in the Oval Office. Italy's Meloni has positioned herself as a 'bridge' between the Trump administration and the rest of Europe. But Italy's strong support of Ukraine and Trump's threatened tariffs on European goods have put Meloni, the only European leader to attend Trump's inauguration, in a difficult position. Mark Sobel, U.S. chair of the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum, an independent think tank, said Trump's 'trade policies, backing for right wing European movements, seeming preference for dealing with authoritarians and many of his other actions are alienating our G7 allies,' even if the U.S. president is correct that Europe needs to do more on defense. But even as other G7 leaders defuse any public disputes with Trump, the U.S. president's vision for the world remains largely incompatible with they want. 'In short, behind the curtains, and notwithstanding whatever theater, the Kananaskis summit will highlight a more fragmented G7 and an adrift global economy,' Sobel said. Boak writes for the Associated Press. AP reporters Rob Gillies in Toronto, Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, Sylvie Corbet in Paris, Jill Lawless in London, Geir Moulson in Berlin and Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this report.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Amid upheaval abroad, universities urge Ottawa, Quebec to invest in attracting talent
MONTREAL - Four major Quebec universities are proposing initiatives to make the province a landing spot for high-level researchers. A joint statement released today highlights a number of moves, including co-ordinated steps at the national level to attract talent. The four universities — Université Laval, McGill University, Université de Montréal, and Université de Sherbrooke — hope to leverage political and social tensions affecting researchers around the world to lure them to Canadian schools. The group of universities, going by the name Polaris, say both Quebec and Ottawa have a role to play in making that happen. Vincent Poitout, vice-rector of research and innovation at Université de Montréal, says there is a window to transform a very unfortunate situation in science, particularly in the United States, into an opportunity for Canada. The universities note a recent survey published in Nature, a journal, that 75 per cent of researchers in the United States are considering leaving the country. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2025.
