‘Hired Stooges': Hardeep Puri On Pro-Khalistani Protests In Canada Ahead Of G7 Summit
Last Updated:
Pro-Khalistani protests were held in Canada ahead of the G7 Summit, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend
Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday referred to demonstrators behind the recent pro-Khalistani protests in Canada as 'hired stooges" and said they should not be taken seriously.
Pro-Khalistani protests were held in Canada ahead of the G7 Summit, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend.
'One more video is going viral in which these people are protesting against the neighbouring country after they did not get funding from them," Puri said.
'Yeh jo kiraye ke tattu hain (These are hired stooges). Don't take them seriously," he said.
The minister made the remarks while inaugurating an exhibition on 11 years of PM Narendra Modi's Government and 100 days of the Delhi Government at the Delhi BJP headquarters at 14, Pant Marg in Lutyens' Delhi.
PM Modi is scheduled to arrive in Canada to attend the G-7 summit from Cyprus on the second leg of his visit, at the invitation of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. This would be the PM's first visit to Canada in a decade.
The Kananaskis gathering on June 16-17 is the Prime Minister's 6th consecutive participation in the G7 Summit.
'At the summit, the Prime Minister will exchange views with leaders of G-7 countries, other invited outreach countries and Heads of International Organisations on crucial global issues, including energy security, technology and innovation, particularly the AI-energy nexus and Quantum-related issues," the Ministry of External Affairs had said in New Delhi.
The Prime Minister will also hold several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit, coming over a month after India's Operation Sindoor that targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attacks.
Carney's invitation to Modi to attend the G7 Summit signalled the new government's intent to repair the ties with New Delhi that plummeted to an all-time low over the killing of pro-Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
In October last year, India recalled its high commissioner and five other diplomats after Ottawa attempted to link them to the Nijjar case. India also expelled an equal number of Canadian diplomats.
India had accused Justin Trudeau's government of allowing pro-Khalistani elements to operate from Canadian soil.
Carney, an economist and political newcomer, took charge as Canada's new prime minister in March following the exit of Trudeau from the top office.
After Trudeau's exit, New Delhi said it hoped to rebuild ties with Canada based on 'mutual trust and sensitivity".
In the last few months, the security officials of India and Canada resumed contact and both sides were looking at the possibility of appointing new high commissioners.
Describing India and Canada as 'vibrant democracies", the external affairs ministry said last week that New Delhi believes the forthcoming meeting between the prime ministers of the two countries on the sidelines of the G7 Summit will offer an important opportunity to exchange views and 'explore pathways" to reset bilateral ties.
During PM Modi's last visit in 2015, bilateral ties were elevated to the level of a strategic partnership.
G7 Summit
The G7 summit comes amidst rising geopolitical tensions, including escalating tensions in the Middle East in the wake of the strikes between Iran and Israel, as well as a trade war triggered by US President Donald Trump's tariff policies.
Canada assumed the annual rotating presidency of the G7 on January 1, 2025, with this marking the 50th anniversary of the G7 Summit.
The Group of Seven (G7) is an informal grouping of the world's advanced economies – France, the US, the UK, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada and the European Union. Its members meet annually at the G7 Summit to discuss global economic and geopolitical issues.
India, the fifth-largest economy in the world, has regularly been invited to the Outreach session of the G7 Summit in the past few years.
India has attended eleven G7 Summit Outreach sessions till date: 2003 (France); 2005 (UK); 2006 (Russia); 2007 (Germany); 2008 (Japan); 2009 (Italy); 2019 (France); 2021 (UK); Germany (2022), Japan(2023), and Italy (2024).
According to a statement, the Outreach Segment of the 51st G7 Summit will have one session.
top videos
View all
The summit is expected to deliberate on pressing challenges facing the globe including the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the situation in West Asia.
(With PTI iputs)
About the Author
Saurabh Verma
Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
36 minutes ago
- Time of India
NDA 3.0: A year of caste counts, Operation Sindoor, state wins & the Waqf shake-up
The third term of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government began on June 9, 2024, with the BJP dependent on allies for the first time. In the past year, the coalition has stabilized, and the BJP has reinforced partnerships, including rejoining hands with the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads On June 9, 2024, the NDA government took oath under PM Narendra Modi for the third time. This was the first Modi-headed government where the BJP has less than the majority seats and is dependent on its allies. After initial hiccups, the NDA has become stronger with the BJP leadership cementing ties with its partners across the country. In Tamil Nadu, after the Lok Sabha experience where the party tried to create a third front, it has now aligned with AIADMK ahead of the assembly elections next year. The first year of the government has been quite eventful politically and there were several defining moments for the government and BJP. ET's Kumar Anshuman lists some of the incidents which is shaping the political August, the central government put out advertisements for 45 mid-level government posts under the lateral entry scheme. This was the first issue in 11 years of NDA rule that faced some real objections from the allies. Two allies from Bihar -- JDU and LJP (Ram Vilas) -- raised objections. LJP leader and Union minister Chirag Paswan requested the government to withdraw the advertisement. JDU said the government could have consulted the allies before taking such a decision. The government was forced to withdraw was the first election in J&K in over a decade and after the revocation of Article 370. After the Supreme Court order, the Election Commission on August 16 last year, announced elections in J&K in three phases. The constituencies were drawn up based on the delimitation exercise completed last year. The elections were peaceful and led to the formation of a democratic government. This was a defining political moment for the NDA government after the abrogation of Article 370. Around 64% voting was good enough for the government for the work done post abrogation of Article the Lok Sabha elections, the NDA won three out of the five assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, J&K and Delhi. However, the Maharashtra victory was significant with the ruling alliance winning 235 of the 288 seats. The past five years in Maharashtra was politically volatile with several changes in the government and alliance partners. Such a victory by NDA after a poor show during the Lok Sabha elections, brought political stability not only in Maharashtra but also at the national level, solidifying the bonding among the NDA partners. The Delhi victory was the icing on the cake with the party coming to power after 27 years. The election victories changed the government's approach. Focus returned to governance and the government is willing to carry out reforms as planned.'One Nation One Election' has been on BJP's agenda for long and several political parties extended their support during their submission before a committee led by former president Ramnath Kovind. The bill was presented in Parliament and has been sent to a JPC headed by BJP MP, PP Choudhary. The JPC is conducting consultations on the bill. The tenure of the JPC has been extended till the Monsoon session and the government will proceed with it once the JPC submits its reports. BJP is organising events to create awareness on the proposed no sign of improvement in Manipur, President's rule was imposed this February. As things started improving, BJP MLAs moved the idea of forming a government. The government is yet to take a call on when to restore a government. Protests have started again which is going to delay the expected normalcy as envisaged by the Union government. Manipur is likely to keep drawing national attention in the coming government stuck to its commitment to pass the Waqf Bill. Considering the inhibitions of the Opposition and some allies, the government formed a JPC for wider consultation on the bill. Finally, the bill was passed in the second part of the budget session with all NDA allies supporting it. The passing of the Waqf Bill established the fact that the BJP will continue to push its political agenda with the backing of April 22, India witnessed a major terror attack in Pahalgam. This shattered the confidence of the common man and was a challenge for the government which has been claiming normalcy in J&K. The Opposition came in full support of the government to take action against the perpetrators of terror. The government launched 'Operation Sindoor' by hitting the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed. India targeted Air Defence Radars and systems at several locations in Pakistan in response to the drone attack launched by the operation, the government decided to send seven all-party delegations across the world to put forth India's point of view and isolate Pakistan on terror. The initiative got support from many countries as the ruling party and Opposition spoke in one voice on terror. Through Operation Sindoor, the government strengthened the nationalism narrative and set new bars for India's response to terror in census has been the genesis of socialist politics in India and over the years several regional parties from north India have tried to champion the cause. Even NDA allies from Bihar and UP have been vocal about the caste census. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been raising the pitch for caste census. The NDA government decided to conduct caste census with enumeration of caste, done only after the 1931 census. A socio-economic caste census was done in 2011, but the data was not comprehensive. The current census was to take place in 2021, but got delayed due to Covid-19. The next round of political movements regarding reservation, delimitation and equitable representation hinges on the findings of the current census.
India Today
39 minutes ago
- India Today
Canada's Mark Carney receives PM Narendra Modi at G7 Summit venue
Canadian PM Mark Carney received Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he arrived at the venue of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta. PM Modi is currently on a four-day, three-nation tour covering Cyprus, Canada and Minister Narendra Modi landed in Calgary on Tuesday morning to participate in the 51st G7 Summit amid Israel-Iran tensions. This comes after the PM visited Cyprus and held discussions with Cypriot President Nikos official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, said that PM Modi also met Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on the sidelines of the 51st G7 Summit. He wrote on X, "Boosting India-Mexico warm and historical ties. This was the first meeting between the two leaders." "Both sides discussed avenues to further deepen - cooperation in trade, pharmaceuticals, S&T, digital innovation and shared perspectives on key global & regional issues, including the priorities of the Global South," he added.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
WATCH: PM Modi welcomed by Canadian PM Carney at G7 Summit as India, Canada eye reset in ties
PM Modi is attending the summit as a special invitee, as part of Canada's broader outreach to key global partners beyond the G7 bloc read more Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney with Prime Minister Narendra Modi upon his arrival at the G7 Summit venue in Kananaskis, Alberta. ANI Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi upon his arrival at the G7 Summit venue in Kananaskis, Alberta. #WATCH | Canadian PM Mark Carney receives Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he arrives at the venue of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta (Source: ANI/DD)#PMModiAtG7 — ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD PM Modi is attending the summit as a special invitee, as part of Canada's broader outreach to key global partners beyond the G7 bloc. Earlier, PM Modi held brief pull-aside meetings with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis. Before leaving for the summit, PM Modi had said he would be discussing important global issues and emphasise the priorities of the Global South as he meets world leaders at the G7 Summit. This is PM Modi's first visit to Canada in a decade. The high-profile summit, which began June 16, marks PM Modi's sixth consecutive participation in the G7, and is part of his ongoing three-nation tour, which began in Cyprus. According to India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the summit will feature exchanges between leaders on key global challenges, including energy security, technological innovation, and emerging areas like artificial intelligence and quantum technologies. PM Modi's arrival in Canada follows an invitation from PM Carney, who took office in March after Justin Trudeau's resignation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The visit is seen as a step toward mending strained ties after tensions over the killing of pro-Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India had recalled its diplomats and accused Trudeau government of encouraging pro-Khalistani activity, while Canada alleged Indian involvement in Nijjar's death. Diplomatic contacts have since resumed, with both sides exploring a reset. The MEA called India and Canada 'vibrant democracies' and termed Modi-Carney talks an 'important opportunity' to rebuild trust. Trade, immigration, and diaspora ties are also key. Bilateral goods trade stood at $8.6 billion in 2024. Canada hosts 1.8 million people of Indian origin, including nearly one million NRIs. Indian students, once the largest foreign cohort, have faced challenges due to recent immigration curbs. With inputs from agencies
