India and Canada’s relations hit a new low under Justin Trudeau’s Prime Ministership. While Canada under Trudeau accused India of killing Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, India termed the accusations baseless while demanding evidence. External Affairs Minister S Jahisankar had once said that Canada is turning safe heaven for Khalistani terrorists.
The tensions between the two nations reached a point where both nations expelled diplomats, marking the lowest point in the ties of decades. While Canada used multiple forums to pressure India but New Delhi didn’t bow down while maintaining that Ottawa must produce evidence to substantiate its claim.
However, weeks after Trudeau’s exit as PM, New Delhi appears to be looking for the return of normalcy in ties. When asked about political developments in Canada, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the two countries share a close bond.
“A lot of political developments are going on in Canada. We are keeping a close eye on them. India and Canada enjoy a very deep relationship with each other. There are many Indian Origin people and students there. We also have cooperation at different levels We hope that the relationship will remain strong and India will be ready to take any step in this direction…” said Jaiswal.
Jaiswal’s statement hints at a softening of tone towards Canada after Justin Trudeau’s exit. India has been vocal in criticizing Canada for supporting anti-India forces in the garb of free speeches. However, things seem to be changing now.
Recently, a Canadian court granted bail to all the accused arrested in the Nijar murder case. This also affirms India’s claim that the allegations were baseless and there is no concrete proof.