New Delhi: Amid growing discontent with his leadership, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared his resignation on Monday, following months of raging political crisis.
As he announced his decision to quit, Trudeau pointed out that he would step down as soon as his party selects a new leader, recognising the impact of declining poll numbers and internal rift on his leadership.
The Canadian PM faced political isolation after his policies drew flak from all corners, and mostly from his own party members for months. A slew of political debacles resulted in Trudeau’s leadership coming under scanner.
His Nijjar murder allegations
A key factor behind the controversy surrounding Trudeau is his unfounded allegations against India, essentially regarding the murder of Khalistani militant Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Trudeau’s political crisis escalated in September 2023 when he made serious allegations against India, alleging that the Indian government was involved in the killing of Nijjar in Canada. Not just this, Trudeau also accused India of orchestrating some criminal activities on Canadian soil, a charge that India stoutly denied and dubbed as “absurd”.
After the allegations, ties between India-Canada nosedived. The diplomatic fallout from Trudeau’s allegations had a huge impact on his leadership in Canada, where there is a large Indian population. Following the Nijjar murder allegation, India responded by expelling six Canadian diplomats and recalling its envoy from Ottawa. On September 1, 2023, Canada had also paused talks on a proposed trade treaty with India. On September 22, 2023, India suspended issuing new visas for Canadians and asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence in India. India resumed issuing visas two months later
Rise of pro-Khalistani sentiments
In 2015, Trudeau became PM, after his Liberal Party gained strong support from Canada’s large Sikh diaspora, including groups linked to Khalistan movement. During his tenure, pro-Khalistani activities and sentiments in Canada saw a surge. In October 2023, tens of thousands of Sikhs in Surrey, British Columbia, gathered at the gurdwara where Nijjar was killed for an unofficial referendum on an independent Sikh state.
A huge factor leading to Trudeau’s downfall was rising support for the separatist movement and related protests, including a series of attacks on a Hindu temple near Toronto, which caused further diplomatic strain between the two countries. India continued to deny any involvement in Nijjar’s murder, while underlining that he was a designated terrorist by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The Modi government also alleged that Justin Trudeau was appeasing Khalistani sympathisers in Canada for political gains.
No evidence to back Nijjar murder claim
Notwithstanding several rounds of discussions at international forums, including the G20 Summit, and pressure from the Indian government to furnish proof supporting his allegations, Trudeau’s administration couldn’t present any conclusive evidence linking India to Nijjar’s killing.
Critics of Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party government repeatedly questioned his allegations against India, suggesting they were a politically motivated attempt to garner support from the Khalistani Sikh vote base. They also claimed it could be an effort to divert attention from more important domestic matters.
