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India today took strong exceptions to the remarks made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the ongoing farmers’ protests in the country against the new farm laws.
“We have seen some ill-informed comments by Canadian leaders relating to farmers in India. Such comments are unwarranted, especially when pertaining to the internal affairs of a democratic country. It is also best that diplomatic conversations are not misrepresented for political purposes,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.
Trudeau joined other Canadian leaders, particularly those belonging to the Sikh community, to express concern over the farmers’ protests, stating these concerns had also been conveyed to the Indian government.
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He made the remarks while participating in a Facebook interaction organised by Canadian MP Bardish Chagger to mark the 551st birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. He was joined by Canadian ministers Navdeep Bains, Harjit Sajjan and members of the Sikh community.
“I would be remiss if I didn’t start by recognising the news coming out of India about the protest by farmers. The situation is concerning and we’re all very worried about family and friends,” Trudeau said. “I know that’s a reality for many of you. Let me remind you, Canada will always be there to defend the right of peaceful protest. We believe in the importance of dialogue and that’s why we’ve reached out through multiple means directly to the Indian authorities to highlight our concerns,” he said, adding it was important to remember Guru Nanak’s teachings of compassion, equality and selfless service, which were central to both Sikhism and Canadian values.
Others from Canada to have expressed concern over the farmers’ protests include politicians from the Conservative Party, the Liberal Party and the New Democratic Party (NDP).
India-Canada ties have gone through a rough patch in the past too due to the Trudeau government’s perceived support to the ‘Khalistan’ movement.
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