00:00On Thursday morning, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated Indian Prime
00:20Minister Narendra Modi on his recent electoral victory.
00:25Trudeau's message, posted on X, emphasised Canada's readiness to work with the Modi
00:31government to strengthen the relationship between the two nations.
00:36Trudeau stated,
00:37Canada stands ready to work with its government to advance the relationship between our nation's
00:44people, anchored to human rights, diversity and the rule of law.
00:50However, this message comes during significant diplomatic tensions between Canada and India.
00:57The strained relations are largely due to Canada's allegations regarding the murder
01:02of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year.
01:06Trudeau has been vocal about his belief that Indian agents were involved in Nijjar's assassination,
01:13an accusation that New Delhi has vehemently denied as absurd and baseless.
01:20This controversy adds another layer to the already complex dynamics between the two countries.
01:27Just days before Trudeau's congratulatory message, a high-level Canadian parliamentary
01:31panel report surfaced, identifying India as the second-biggest foreign threat to Canada's
01:38democracy following China.
01:41The report, submitted to the Prime Minister's office in May and tabled in Parliament this
01:45week, stated that China is the most prolific actor in terms of foreign interference in
01:52Canadian democracy.
01:54However, it also highlighted that India has emerged as the second-most significant foreign
02:00interference threat to Canada's democratic institutions and processes, surpassing Russia.
02:07Despite these allegations, Trudeau reiterated his government's commitment to addressing
02:12foreign interference, saying they take the matter very seriously.
02:17Turning our focus to India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party emerged
02:23as the single-largest party in India's general elections, which concluded on June 4.
02:29The BJP won 240 seats in the Lok Sabha, a significant drop from the 303 seats it secured
02:37in 2019.
02:39This shortfall of 32 seats below a simple majority means that the BJP will have to rely
02:45on its National Democratic Alliance and partners to form the government.
02:50Narendra Modi is expected to take the oath of office on June 8, Saturday.
02:55As the diplomatic row between Canada and India continues, the world watches closely how these
03:02two nations navigate their complex relationships.
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