Demand for Trudeau's resignation intensified by Canadian MPs

Ottawa: While Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues to walk on thin ice both at home and internationally, a number of party leaders and lawmakers are preparing to formally demand Trudeau's resignation in the coming days, in addition to openly voicing their displeasure with his leadership.

On Thursday, Canada's leading daily The Globe and Mail reported that at least 20 MPs have agreed to put their names on a demand to oust Trudeau - a move which it said appears to be "quickly snowballing into a serious effort" to force him out.

The newspaper said that caucus members are expected to present within days an official demand that Trudeau step down from party leadership.

"Three Liberal MPs have told The Globe and Mail that they anticipate the demand to be presented in two steps: first, in writing as soon as this weekend, laying out the fact that constituents are telling MPs that Mr Trudeau needs to go; and second, in an open microphone session at the party’s next caucus meeting in Ottawa, on Wednesday," it detailed.

On Wednesday, long-time Charlottetown Liberal MP Sean Casey openly called for Trudeau's resignation as the head of the party.

"People have had enough. They've tuned him out and they want him to go," Casey told CBC News Network in an interview.

"The message that I've been getting loud and clear — and more and more strongly as time goes by — is that it is time for [Trudeau] to go. And I agree," he added.

Casey, during his interview with Power & Politics show host David Cochrane, stated that there is a "high level of anxiety" in the Liberal caucus over Trudeau's leadership.

"I would say it's wider than meets the eye. There are a lot of people who have concerns," he said.

Trudeau, who testified at the public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada's electoral processes and democratic institutions, drew further criticism by claiming that he has the names of Conservative parliamentarians who are involved in foreign interference.

In a stinging response, Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre, who is running to be Prime Minister of Canada, challenged Trudeau to release the names of all MPs who have collaborated with foreign interference.

"Justin Trudeau is doing what he always does: He is lying. He is lying to distract from a Liberal caucus revolt against his leadership and revelations he knowingly allowed Beijing to interfere and help him win two elections," Poilievre said in a strong statement after the Canadian PM's testimony.

"If Justin Trudeau has evidence to the contrary, he should share it with the public. Now that he has blurted it out in general terms at a commission of inquiry, he should release the facts. But he won't — because he is making it up," the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada added.

Earlier this year, another Liberal MP Ken McDonald had voiced his concerns when asked if Trudeau was the right leader to lead the Liberal Party.

Interestingly, in the same testimony on Wednesday, Trudeau had admitted that Ottawa had only some intelligence inputs and no "hard proofs" before he first accused India of killing Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, last year.

India has made it clear several times that Trudeau has been working on a "deliberate strategy" - of smearing India for political gains.

"What we have heard today only confirms what we have been saying consistently all along - Canada has presented us no evidence whatsoever in support of the serious allegations that it has chosen to level against India and Indian diplomats. The responsibility for the damage that this cavalier behaviour has caused to India-Canada relations lies with Prime Minister Trudeau alone," said Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday.

With inputs from IANS