Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday that Canada has always taken “serious action” against terrorism, responding to allegations that his administration has been soft on Pro-Khalistan activists within the country.
This came a day after New Delhi summoned Canada’s ambassador to express worry over the country’s pro-Khalistan supporters’ rising activities. Meanwhile, India’s diplomatic move comes two days before a pro-Khalistan rally planned for July 8 in front of the Indian High Commission in Ottawa.
“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,” Mr Trudeau stated at a press conference, rejecting all allegations cited by NDTV.
In addition, the Canadian prime minister said that Canada is a diverse country and values freedom of expression; however, it is against any extremism and violence.
“We have an extremely diverse country, and freedom of expression is something we value, but we will always make sure that we are pushing back against violence and extremism in all its forms,” Mr Trudeau affirmed.
Earlier, India expressed its concern about the safety and security of Indian diplomats and asked Canadian authorities to take proper measures for the planned protests by pro-Khalistan groups on July 8.
Additionally, Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar called on other countries, including Canada, the UK, and the US, to oppose providing a forum to “extremist Khalistani ideology” that undermines international relations.
