‘Need to be careful’: Canadian PM Mark Carney on Nijjar case; meets PM Modi at G7

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday said he must be “careful” while commenting further on the Hardeep Singh Nijjar case. His remarks came during PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Canada for the G7 Summit, where both leaders held bilateral talks.When asked whether the Nijjar case was discussed with PM Modi, Canadian counterpart Carney said, “We discussed the importance of having the law enforcement dialogue, not just dialogue, cooperation directly, the importance of addressing transnational repression… There is a judicial process that’s underway, and I need to be careful about further commentary.”Tensions between India and Canada have been high since 2023, when then-Canadian PM Justin Trudeau claimed his government had “credible allegations” linking Indian agents to the killing of Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia. Nijjar, a terrorist designated by National Investigation Agency (NIA), was shot dead outside a gurdwara on June 18, 2023.India strongly denied the allegations, calling them “absurd” and “motivated,” and accused Canada of allowing extremist and anti-India activities to grow unchecked.In response, India recalled six diplomats after Canada listed them as “persons of interest” in the Nijjar investigation. India also accused Canada of violating the Vienna Convention by placing Indian diplomats under surveillance, and lodged a formal protest.Now, both countries have agreed to restore full diplomatic services. PM Modi and Canada PM Carney reaffirmed the importance of India-Canada ties, based on mutual respect, rule of law, and a commitment to sovereignty and territorial integrity.