Backing Khalistani terrorists, farmers’ stir and more: Justin Trudeau’s anti-India politics

Tensions between India and Canada have escalated after Justin Trudeau’s shocking allegations that New Delhi was involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India has termed the charge as “absurd” and now both nations have expelled diplomats. However, this is not the first time the Canadian prime minister has taken an anti-India stand. Justin Trudeau, say experts, seems to be following in his father Pierre Trudeau’s footsteps.

We take a look at how the Trudeaus have angered India time and again by shielding Khalistani separatists and intervening in matters that should not concern them.

Also read: Why Justin Trudeau has been ‘soft’ on Khalistani extremists in Canada

When Pierre Trudeau supported Air India bomber

Talwinder Singh Parmar, the alleged mastermind of the 1985 bombing of Air India flight 182, the Kanishka, which killed 329 people, was based in Burnaby, British Columbia. He also headed the Babbar Khalsa International, a militant group involved in the Khalistani movement.

Parmar carried out terror activities and sought refuge in Canada. In 1981, he was accused of killing two Punjab Police officers and was arrested in 1983 in Germany. He was released in 1984 after which he immediately returned to Canada and plotted the plane bombing, the worst terror attack in the country’s history.

When Pierre Trudeau was the prime minister, the Canadian government refused to extradite Parmar to India. “It was Pierre Trudeau’s government which refused the 1982 Indian request to extradite Talwinder Parmar to India for murder, on the quaint grounds that India was insufficiently deferential to the Queen. That is not a joke. Canadian diplomats had to tell their Indian counterparts that the extradition protocols between Commonwealth countries would not apply because India only recognised Her Majesty as Head of the Commonwealth, and not as Head of State. Case closed!” wrote well-known Canadian journalist Terry Milewski in one of his books.

When Parmar sneaked into India from Pakistan he was shot dead by the Punjab Police in 1992.

A pro-Khalistan rallying glorifying Pamar was reportedly held in June in Toronto.

Ensuring that their reputation stays at rock-bottom, Canadian Khalistanis again pick as their poster boy the psychopath who bombed Air India, Talwinder Parmar. He murdered 331 innocents for nothing. And – a grotesque twist – he’ll be honoured at the memorial to his victims. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/7feI5UDCQb

— Terry Milewski (@CBCTerry) June 17, 2023

Justin Trudeau’s controversial 2018 India visit

Like his father, Justin Trudeau also has been sympathetic towards Khalistani separatists and has ruffled Delhi’s feathers on more occasions than one.

In February 2018, the Canadian PM triggered a storm during a visit to India. Jaspal Atwal, a former member of the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), a pro-Khalistan outfit that was banned in Canada and designated a terrorist organisation in 2003, was invited to two events organised for Trudeau in Mumbai and Delhi, according to a report in The Indian Express.

Atwal was convicted in an attempt-to-murder case after then Punjab minister Malkiat Singh Sidhu was shot on Vancouver Island in 1986. He was sentenced to 20 years in jail but was released early because of good conduct.

Photographs of Trudeau’s wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau (they have now separated) and a Canadian minister with Atwal at the Mumbai event left the Indian government fuming. The Canadian High Commission later said that it had revoked the invitation to the Delhi event.

Trudeau shifted the blame to a Canadian parliamentarian, adding that Atwal “should never have received an invitation”.

Also read: Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Khalistani terrorist at centre of India-Canada standoff?

Supporting the farmers’ protest

In December 2020, the Canadian premier backed farmers protesting against the now-withdrawn farm bills introduced by the Narendra Modi government.

Backing the agitation he said, “Canada will always be there to defend the rights of peaceful protest.” He was the first world leader to comment on the farmers' protests.

“The news coming out of India about the protest by farmers. The situation is concerning and we’re all very worried about family and friends… Let me remind you, Canada will always be there to defend the rights of peaceful protest,” he said at an online event to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.

India reacted sharply saying that the comments relating to farmers in India were “ill-informed” and “unwarranted, especially when pertaining to the internal affairs of a democratic country.”

New Delhi also summoned the Canadian High Commissioner and conveyed that the remarks constituted an “unacceptable interference” in India’s internal affairs and that such actions would have a “seriously damaging” impact on the bilateral relationship.

No condemnation of the Indira Gandhi assassination parade

In June, a tableau celebrating the assassination of former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi was part of a parade organised by Khalistani supporters, ahead of the 39th anniversary of Operation Blue Star, in Brampton.

When asked about the parade, Trudeau reverted to his oft-used “freedom of expression” justification. “We have an extremely diverse country and freedom of expression is something that we have, but we will always make sure that we are pushing back against violence and extremism in all its forms,” the Canadian PM said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar lashed out at Canada for allowing the parade, perceived to be a glorification of violence by Sikh separatists. “I think there is a larger underlying issue about the space which is given to separatists, to extremists, to people who advocate violence.”

“I think it is not good for relationships, not good for Canada,” he added.

Silence on the anti-India referendum

Trudeau has been largely silent on the Khaklistan referendums organised in Canada.

On 10 September, the same day, the Canadian leader spoke with PM Modi about the Khalistani issue, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a separatist group, organised a referendum at a gurudwara in Surrey. SFJ founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, designated a terrorist by India, made a public appearance at the vote and delivered an inciteful speech hinting at “balkanising” India, reports India Today.

After talks with PM Modi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, Trudeau spoke about Khalistani protests in his country and said, “Canada would always defend freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, and freedom of peaceful protest.”

With inputs from agencies