Canadian Journalist Highlights Growing Distrust in Trudeau Amid India-Canada Diplomatic Crisis

Ottawa [Canada], October 15, 2024: As tensions between India and Canada continue to escalate, Canadian journalist Daniel Bordman has highlighted a significant loss of trust in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s credibility and leadership. This comes in the wake of India’s decision to recall its High Commissioner and other diplomats, signaling a deepening rift between the two nations.

Bordman pointed to the increasing influence of Khalistani elements in the ongoing diplomatic conflict. “There are elements within the Khalistani apparatus, they are all over this… The Khalistani elements are in full attack mode. They are taking this as a total victory and slamming India,” he said.

Reflecting on the mood within Canada, Bordman emphasized the growing disillusionment among the public with Trudeau’s handling of the situation. “Vast majority of Canadians are incredibly fed up with this government. (They) don’t believe the institutions, don’t see the media as credible, don’t see Justin Trudeau as credible. So many Canadians will just look at this, shrug their shoulders and probably even side with India,” he said.

Bordman further suggested that the Indian government may be waiting for a change in Canada’s leadership before attempting to rebuild relations. “The state of the India-Canada relationship right now would be cryostasis,” he said. “I think the Indians have kind of just put Canada in a cryo pod until we get a new government.”

He added that India’s leadership does not view Trudeau as a reasonable actor, especially given his alliance with Jagmeet Singh, whom Bordman described as “openly hostile” toward India. “I don’t think they see Justin Trudeau as a reasonable actor. I don’t think he is when it comes to India, especially if he’s propped up by Jagmeet Singh,” he remarked.

Looking ahead, Bordman predicted that the diplomatic freeze could last another year, unless Canada holds an early election and a new government takes office. He suggested that if a more conservative, anti-terrorism, and pro-India government were to come into power, relations could improve significantly. “For the next year, we’re looking at sort of a cryostasis where relations and trade are just pushed off to the side and ignored. When there’s a new government, and the conservatives come in with an anti-terrorism and pro-India attitude, I think things will light up again,” he added.

The diplomatic fallout intensified after RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme alleged that certain criminal activities had been carried out by agents of the Indian government. In response, India expelled six Canadian diplomats, hours after summoning Canada’s Charge d’Affaires, Stewart Wheeler, to express its disapproval of what it called the “baseless targeting” of Indian diplomats in Canada.

This move followed Canada’s expulsion of six Indian diplomats, accusing them of involvement in a “campaign of violence” on behalf of the Indian government, according to a Reuters report citing a Canadian government source.

Earlier, India had “strongly” rejected a diplomatic communication from Canada that suggested the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats were “persons of interest” in an investigation, calling the accusations “preposterous imputations” and a part of Trudeau’s political agenda. India has also accused the Canadian government of allowing extremists and terrorists to operate freely, harassing Indian diplomats and the Indian community in Canada.

The strain between India and Canada deepened last year when Prime Minister Trudeau claimed to have “credible allegations” of India’s involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, designated a terrorist by India’s National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey in June 2023. India strongly denied the allegations, calling them “absurd” and accusing Canada of giving space to anti-India elements.