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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that Narendra Modi's re-election win is an opportunity to have “conversations” on “very serious” and “big” issues. “Now that he's won the election, I think we have a great opportunity to have conversations, including some very serious issues related to national security and the safety of Canadians,” Trudeau said in a media interview.
An opportunity to talk directly with leaders: Trudeau
Recently, Trudeau and Modi met during the G7 summit, where India was invited as an outreach partner. Trudeau said then, “I think the best thing about the summit is that you get a chance to interact directly with the leaders.” Trudeau further said, “There is a massive relationship between the people of India and Canada, there is an important economic relationship, as a democracy, there are similar views on many big issues that we need to work on as a global community.” This was the first meeting between Modi and the Canadian PM after Trudeau accused India of involvement in the Niger assassination in the House of Commons on September 18 last year. Earlier this month, the Canadian PMO congratulated Narendra Modi on becoming Prime Minister for the third time.
Negative public opinion towards India in Canada
A report has revealed that public opinion towards India in Canada has turned negative in the past one year. This can be attributed to the murder of pro-Khalistan Hardeep Singh Nijjar and allegations of foreign interference. But this declining popularity can also be due to growing sentiments against the increasing number of immigrants in the country.
A recent survey by non-profit polling agency Angus Reid Institute (ARI) found that “India’s positive image in Canada has declined by 11 points since March 2023, with 33% of Canadians considering India a friend.” While 54% do not consider India a friend, Trudeau says Canada supports a ‘united India’, but the presence of Sikh separatists in Canada is creating tensions between India and Canada.