Days After Trudeau's Exit, India Blames Canada's 'License To Extremists' For Strained Relations

India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, attributed the decline in India-Canada relations to Ottawa's support for extremist and secessionist elements within the country.

MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

Source : PTI

India attributed the decline in the relationship between India and Canada to the license granted by Ottawa to the extremist and secessionist elements within the country. The spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, said on Friday that he hopes to rebuild ties based on mutual trust and sensitivity.

#WATCH | Delhi: On India-Canada relations, MEA Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "The downturn in India-Canada relations was caused by the license that was given to the extremist and secessionist elements in the country. Our hope is that we can rebuild our ties based on… pic.twitter.com/on36QS3aYr

— ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2025

“The downturn in India-Canada relations was caused by the license that was given to the extremist and secessionist elements in the country. Our hope is that we can rebuild our ties based on mutual trust and sensitivity,” Jaiswal said.

The recent remarks by Jaiswal come amid a change of leadership in Canada, with Mark Carney replacing Justin Trudeau as the prime minister.

“What Canada will be looking to do is to diversify our trading relationships with like-minded countries. And there are opportunities to rebuild the relationships with India- there needs to be a shared sense of values around that commercial relationship and if I am the Prime Minister, I look forward to the opportunity to build that,” Carney had said ahead of his swearing-in as quoted by Hindustan Times.

The tension between India and Canada became more intensified after the killing of Hardeep Nijjar, a terrorist, in the year 2023. The Canadian authorities have alleged Indian involvement, which New Delhi has denied totally. The diplomatic fallout led both of the countries to expel senior diplomats, worsening the relationship.

India has also frequency criticised Canada for not taking action on the Khalistani supporters undermining the territorial integrity of the, citing the incidents of vandalism at the places of worship, threats to diplomats, among others.

Providing an update on the India-China talks, Jaiwal said that constructive engagement has continued since the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan.