Sikh groups call on MPs to denounce Carney's G7 invitation to Modi
OTTAWA — A group of Canadian Sikh organizations is calling on members of Parliament to denounce Prime Minister Mark Carney's invitation to India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi to next week's G7 leaders' meeting.
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The open letter comes after Carney defended the invitation to Modi last Friday, saying it was important to have India at the table, given that it represents the world's fifth-largest economy, is essential to supply chains, and now boasts the world's largest population.
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'Carney's decision is not merely a diplomatic miscalculation,' reads the letter, released Monday.
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'It is a direct insult to the Sikh community and a grave threat to the integrity of Canada's institutions.'
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Signatories included the World Sikh Organization, the British Columbia Gurdwaras Council and Sikh Federation, as well as the Ontario Gurdwaras Committee and the Quebec Sikh Council.
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The statements follows comments on Friday by Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal, who represents the Surrey, B.C., riding where Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed outside of a temple in June 2023, that he was concerned by the invitation extended to Modi and planned to raise it with Carney this week. Dhaliwal said he had received dozens of calls and more than 100 emails from constituents expressing concern about Modi's attendance at the summit.
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The groups cite the statement made by former prime minister Justin Trudeau in September 2023 that Canada had 'credible allegations' that India's government was involved in the death of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whom police say was gunned down outside of a temple in June of that year.
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That accusation sent shockwaves through Canada and resulted in a souring of relations with India, which denied the allegations.
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India had regarded Nijjar as a terrorist. He was a prominent activist in the Khalistan movement, which pushes for a separate Sikh state to be created in India's Punjab province.
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Four Indian nationals have been charged in his death.
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Last fall, further tension was inserted into the Canada-India relationship when the RCMP went public with a statement that it believed India's government to be involved in violence unfolding in Canada, from murder to criminal gangs.
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