2 weeks ago
Last Updated:November 03, 2024, 07:57 IST
Earlier, in his Diwali message, Trudeau had promised to stand with Hindu Canadians amid diplomatic tensions with India over Khalistani extremism.
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau on Saturday shared a glimpse of his Diwali celebrations. (Photo: Justin Trudeau/X)
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday shared a glimpse of his Diwali celebrations where he engaged with the Hindu community as the diplomatic tensions between India and Canada relations saw little improvement following recent allegations made by Ottawa regarding the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Sharing a video on his X handle, Trudeau showed the bracelets that he received during his visit to three different Hindu temples in the past few months. “They are good luck… yeah, protection… I’m not taking them off till they fall off," he said.
The visuals showed Trudeau greeting the Hindu community in Canada, lighting a diya, trying out jalebis and wishing ‘Happy Diwali’ to all. This came a day after the 52-year-old Canadian PM in his remarks celebrating Diwali said that the festival of lights represented “light over darkness" and “we need more of that in our lives right now", as reported by Global News.
Trudeau Promised To ‘Stand With Hindu Canadians’
During his annual Diwali message on Thursday, Trudeau promised to stand with the Hindu community amid diplomatic tensions between India and Canada in the wake of rising Khalistani extremism in the country.
In a statement that praised Indo-Canadians, the Liberal party leader underlined Diwali’s significance to one of the country’s largest and most diverse diasporas. “Happy Diwali! Today, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, and Jain families will celebrate the triumph of light over darkness with festivities, candles, diyas, and fireworks. Wishing you all joy and prosperity during this special time," Trudeau wrote on X.
“We will always stand with Hindu Canadians to ensure their safety and security so they can freely and proudly practise their religion," he added. This message comes as Canadian MP Chandra Arya has raised concerns about the safety of Hindus in the country amid the rise of Khalistani extremism. He urged the Canadian government to recognise the threat posed by Khalistani extremism.
India-Canada Tensions Escalate
Relations between the two countries have soured following Trudeau’s allegations of Indian involvement in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar and interference in Canadian elections. India has denied these claims, calling them “absurd."
The tensions seemed to further escalate as Canada’s national security and intelligence adviser Nathalie Drouin and deputy foreign affairs minister David Morrison told a parliamentary committee in Ottawa that they had leaked details of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s alleged role in targeting Sikhs to the media. However, Morrison did not explain how Canada had verified this information.
India expressed its strong disapproval towards the remarks and summoned a representative from the Canadian High Commission on Wednesday and presented a diplomatic note where it condemned the comments as “absurd and baseless".
“It was conveyed in the Note that the Government of India protests in the strongest terms to the absurd and baseless references made to the Union Home Minister of India before the Committee by Deputy Minister David Morrison," the Ministry of External Affairs said.
It also said that the recent reports of highly-placed Canadian officials deliberately leaking “unfounded insinuations to the international media" is a “conscious strategy to discredit India and influence other nations". This came after India recalled its high commissioner and five other diplomats from Canada after they were named as “persons of interest" in a Canadian investigation into Nijjar’s killing.
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Location :Ottawa, Canada
First Published:November 03, 2024, 07:57 IST
News world 'Visited 3 Hindu Temples...': Trudeau Shares Diwali Video Amid India-Canada Tensions | Watch
