The Speaker of Canada’s Senate, Raymonde Gagne, will not be attending a two-day G20 event in New Delhi this week, according to India. This decision comes amidst strained relations between the two countries, stemming from Canada’s investigation into allegations linking Indian agents to the killing of a Sikh separatist leader.
The parliamentary speakers’ summit, scheduled to begin on Friday, is part of India’s year-long presidency of the G20 major economies, set to expire in November. India’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, stated, “We invite all members for G20 events. Participation is their decision and is subject to several factors. I’ll have to check whether anybody is attending from Canada because the parliament speaker could not attend.” The Canadian Senate has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Reports from Indian media indicate that Canada would be represented by the Senate speaker, as confirmed by India’s lower house speaker.
Tensions between India and Canada have heightened, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly expressing suspicions last month that Indian agents were involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on June 18 in a Vancouver suburb. India dismissed these allegations as absurd, resulting in both countries expelling a diplomat. Furthermore, India suspended the issuance of new visas for Canadians and requested Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence in India.
Arindam Bagchi emphasized that India is maintaining communication with Canada at various levels and remains committed to ensuring diplomatic parity between the two countries.
