Ottawa: In a further act of provocation, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on X that he had spoken with Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed, President of the United Arab Emirates, about India and “the importance of upholding — and respecting — the rule of law.”
In a post on Sunday, he said: “On the phone today, His Highness Mohammed Bin Zayed and I spoke about the current situation in Israel. We expressed our deep concern and discussed the need to protect civilian life. We also spoke about India and the importance of upholding — and respecting — the rule of law.”
On the phone today, His Highness @MohamedBinZayed and I spoke about the current situation in Israel. We expressed our deep concern and discussed the need to protect civilian life. We also spoke about India and the importance of upholding – and respecting – the rule of law.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) October 8, 2023
His remark was made amid a heated diplomatic dispute with India on allegations made by Canada that Indian officials were responsible for the murder of a Canadian citizen.
The murder of a Sikh independence supporter in June has heightened tensions between Canada and India.
The assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar was allegedly linked to Indian government operatives, according to plausible charges made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. However, India has dismissed these claims as unfounded.
The Sikh independence movement, outlawed in India but supported by substantial Sikh diaspora populations abroad, especially in Canada and the U.K., has long come under Indian pressure.
According to the 2021 census, about 1.4 million Canadians, or about 3.7% of the entire population, are of Indian racial or ethnic heritage.
About 2% of Canadians, or over 770,000 people, identified Sikhism as their faith, and in 2019, the government proclaimed April ‘Sikh Heritage Month.’
According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, India had 1.425 billion citizens in April. Sikhs make up the majority in the northern province of Punjab, but they make up only 1.7% of all Indians.
