Canada’s Justin Trudeau wades in on India farmers’ protests, sparking accusations of meddling
- Indian authorities last week used tear gas on peaceful protesters rallying against new agriculture laws, in a move Trudeau called ‘concerning’
- While some have praised the PM’s remarks, others accuse him of ‘pandering’ to Sikh-Canadian voters and supporters of the Khalistani separatist movement
Growers from India’s northern farming states, mostly Sikhs from Punjab, have been camped outside New Delhi for a week, demonstrating against laws they fear could pave the way for the government to stop buying grain at guaranteed prices, leaving them at the mercy of private buyers.
Indian authorities last week used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the peaceful protests, a development Trudeau on Monday called “concerning”.
Trudeau was addressing predominantly a Punjabi [Sikh] community; one has to be a blind not to see the political angle to it
“Canada will always be there to defend the right of peaceful protest,” he said during an address to the Indian Sikh diaspora on the 551st birth anniversary of the religious leader Guru Nanak Dev.
New Delhi on Tuesday called the remarks “ill-informed” and “unwarranted”, and suggested Trudeau was trying to win over Sikh voters in Canada.
Canada is home to some 700,000 Sikhs, many of whom have been following the escalating protests with concern.
