New Delhi: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada said his government has always taken ‘serious action’ against terrorism after India has alleged Canada is going easy on Khalistan activists in the country.
Trudeau’s reaction on Thursday comes after India expressed its concern to the nation by summoning Canadian ambassador in New Delhi on Monday.
India has previously brought to the attention of Canadian authorities the anti-India activities of pro-Khalistan elements in the nation.
Meanwhile, pro-Khalistan activists announced a rally outside the Indian High Commission in Ottawa on July 8.
India’s summoning of Canadian ambassador gathers importance in the wake of this announcement, giving signals to worsening relations between two nations.
Trudeau told a press conference that ‘They are wrong. Canada has always taken extremely seriously violence and threats of violence. We have always taken serious action against terrorism, and we always will.’
He was trying to rebut India’s charge that his government has been soft on pro-Khalistan activists' provocative activities in the nation.
But Trudeau told the media that ‘We have an extremely diverse country and freedom of expression is something that we value, but we will always make sure that we are pushing back against violence and extremism in all its forms.’
In the Greater Toronto Area last month, Khalistan supporters took out a parade on the 39 th anniversary of Operation Blue Star.
A tableau in the parade depicted the assassination of former PM Indira Gandhi with an image hers splattered with blood and a poster read, ‘Revenge of attack on Shri Darbar Sahib’.
India strongly reacted to the parade and depiction of Indira Gandhi; however, further worsening the situation, provocative pro-Khalistan posters that called senior Indian diplomats as ‘killers’ appeared the other day.
Meanwhile, India urged Canadian authorities to take measures after Pro-Khalistan elements announced protest outside Indian mission on July 8.
Canada reassured India of safety to its diplomats after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar urged Countries including Canada, UK and the US not to provide platform to ‘ extremist Khalistan ideology’.