Nijjar & After: Facing Flak, Canadian PM says Progress in 'Accountability' Paved Way for Modi G7 Invite

New Delhi: Faced with questions over the invitation to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi for G7 summit, Canadian prime minister Mark Carney defended his decision, saying New Delhi had agreed to resume law enforcement dialogue in a way that “recognises issues of accountability,” even as high-profile criminal investigations remains underway.

On the evening of June 6 in Delhi, Modi posted on X about a phone call with Carney, noting that he had accepted the invitation to attend the G7 summit in the course of the call. The invitation came just over a week before the summit is scheduled to begin on June 15. Other non-G7 invitees, such as South Africa, Brazil, and Mexico, were invited at least a month in advance.

Carney’s office issued a readout, saying there "was agreement to continued law enforcement dialogue and discussions addressing security concerns."

Following Modi's post, in Ottawa, Carney was pressed by reporters about the optics of inviting Modi, given that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has previously alleged the involvement of Indian government agents in a campaign of “violent criminal activity” in Canada and also accused them of orchestrating the June 2023 killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

India and Canada currently have vacant high commissioner posts in each other’s capitals, after the top envoys were forced out last year. 

'Won't disrupt process'

Carney acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue but maintained that his government would not interfere in the legal process. “We have now agreed, importantly, to continued law enforcement dialogue. So there’s been some progress on that, which recognises issues of accountability, I extended the invitation to0 Prime Minister Modi in that context, and he has accepted,” he said, when asked directly why the Indian leader was being invited despite the allegations.

He reiterated that the ongoing investigation would remain fully independent. “We are a country of the rule of law. The rule of law is proceeding as it should in Canada, and I am not going to disrupt that process,” he said.

India, for its part, has firmly rejected the allegations levelled by Canadian security agencies, including broader claims of foreign interference in electoral affairs. Canada had last year even accused Indian home minister Amit Shah of being involved in the alleged plot to target Canadian nationals.

New Delhi has insisted that Canada has “not shared with us any shred of evidence” regarding the involvement of Indian agents in the Nijjar case so far. However, Indian authorities have cooperated with the United States, which has connected its own attempted assassination case involving a US-based Khalistani separatist to Nijjar’s murder.

Carney refused to say whether he believed Modi was involved in Nijjar’s killing. “First off, there is a legal process that is literally underway and quite advanced in Canada. It’s never appropriate to make comments in any respect with regard to those legal processes,” he said.

Carney also laid out the broader rationale for the invitation, pointing to Canada’s role as this year’s G7 chair and the need to engage India on global strategic and economic issues. “First, we are in the role, Canada is in the role, of the G7 chair, and in those discussions, as agreed with our G7 colleagues, we’re addressing important issues like energy security, the digital future, and critical minerals, among others,” he said.

“Partnerships in building infrastructure in the emerging and developing world are also part of the agenda. There are certain countries that should be at the table for those discussions,” Carney stated. “In my capacity as G7 chair, and in consultation with others, some of whom also make these determinations, it makes sense to include India, the fifth-largest economy in the world, effectively the most populous country, and central to a number of those supply chains.”

'Won't even get a slap on the wrist'

According to Globe and Mail, the decision to invite Modi drew criticism from within Carney’s party as well.

Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal, whose constituency in British Columbia includes the temple where Nijjar was killed, said he did not agree with the government’s decision to invite Modi. “My constituents are telling me the message that we are sending is they can come and kill Canadians on Canadian soil and they won’t even get a slap on the wrist,” he said.

Opposition leader of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, said that the invitation was “necessary”, but that conversations on security issues should remain on the table along with economic matters.

“We need to sell our natural gas, our civilian nuclear power technology and other resource projects to India," he said Friday, as quoted by CBC news, adding, "We want to see the government work on addressing security issues at the same time when the prime minister has those conversations”.

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