Modi said he spoke to Carney on the phone and congratulated him on his recent election victory
You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.
OTTAWA — An organization representing Sikh Canadians is expressing shock over Prime Minister Mark Carney’s invitation to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who confirmed on Friday he would be attending the G7 meeting in Alberta this month.
Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.
Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
Balpreet Singh, legal counsel for the World Sikh Organization, pointed to how the RCMP warned last fall about India’s government being linked to foreign interference, criminal gangs and other violence in Canada, including murders.
“It makes absolutely no sense, and it feels like a complete betrayal to our community and also frankly, to the rule of law and to Canadian values.”
Your guide to the world of Canadian politics. (Subscriber exclusive on Saturdays)
By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.
A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, please check your junk folder.
The next issue of First Reading will soon be in your inbox.
We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again
Interested in more newsletters? Browse here.
Canada will host the G7 leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, in Kananaskis from June 15 to 17. India has been invited and has attended past G7 meetings.
On Friday, Modi confirmed he had accepted Carney’s invitation to attend, saying he spoke to Carney by phone and congratulated him on his April 28 election victory.
“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. Look forward to our meeting at the Summit,” said Modi, on social media.
Modi’s upcoming trip to Canada signals a break in tensions in Canada-India relations, which had been sparked by the assassination of a Sikh activist outside of a temple in Surrey, B.C., in June 2023.
In September 2023, former prime minister Justin Trudeau rose in the House of Commons to make the extraordinary statement that there was credible evidence that agents of the Indian government were behind the murder of Sikh leader and activist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Nijjar was a prominent activist who advocated for an independent Sikh state to be created within India.
India had considered Nijjar a terrorist, but has denied any involvement in his death.
Four Indian nationals have been charged in Nijjar’s death.
Asked whether he believed Modi was involved in his death, Carney said it would not be appropriate for someone in his position to respond, given the ongoing investigation and legal process.
“We’re a country of the rule of law. The rule of law is proceeding as it should in Canada, and I am not going to disrupt that process.”
Carney defended extending the invitation to India, saying it represents the world’s fifth-largest economy and boasts the largest population. India is also central to supply chains, he added, and said having the country at the table was discussed among G7 countries.
“So it makes sense.”
The prime minister also said he and Modi agreed to continue “law enforcement to law enforcement dialogue.” Carney said “some progress” had been made on issues of “accountability.”
“I extended the invitation to Prime Minister Modi in that context and he has accepted.”
Carney’s office first confirmed the invitation on Friday morning, saying in a readout, “the two leaders discussed the longstanding relationship between Canada and India.”
“Importantly,” the prime minister’s office said, “there was agreement to continued law enforcement dialogue and discussions addressing security concerns.”
Last fall, Canada and India expelled each other’s diplomats after it cited RCMP evidence linking Indian government agents to crimes in Canada. Canada had requested that India waive diplomatic immunity to allow police to investigate, which the federal government said did not happen.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre told reporters on Friday it was right for India to attend next month’s G7 meeting.
“We need to sell our natural gas, our civilian nuclear power technology and other resource projects to India, and we need to work with India and other countries on trade and security,” said Poilievre.
“So we, as Conservatives, understand that the invitation is necessary and that we want to see the government work on addressing security issues at the same time as the prime minister has those conversations with prime minister Modi.”
National Post
-With files from Rahim Mohamed
Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what’s really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here.
Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our politics newsletter, First Reading, here.
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.
365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4
© 2025 National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited.
This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
You can manage saved articles in your account.
and save up to 100 articles!
You can manage your saved articles in your account and clicking the X located at the bottom right of the article.