Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday said he must be “careful” while commenting further on the Hardeep Singh Nijjar case. His statement came during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Canada for the G7 Summit, where both leaders held bilateral talks.

When a reporter asked if PM Modi and PM Carney discussed the Nijjar case, Carney said, "We discussed the importance of having the law enforcement dialogue, not just dialogue, cooperation directly, the importance of addressing transnational repression... There is a judicial process that's underway, and I need to be careful about further commentary."

This shows that Canada is still being cautious while speaking about the issue, which caused major tension between the two countries last year.

Background of India-Canada’s relation

In September 2023, Prime Minister Trudeau publicly stated that Canada had "credible evidence" showing that Indian agents were behind the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June 2023. However, a new report titled "Public Inquiry Into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions" was released on January 28, 2025, by Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue. The report states that "no definitive link" to any "foreign state" was proven in the killing of Nijjar. The commissioner also noted that disinformation is sometimes used by governments as a tactic to punish decisions that go against their interests.

The report says that India might have spread false information about the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, especially after Prime Minister Trudeau made his statement about India's possible involvement. However, the report also made it clear that there is no solid proof connecting India to the killing. The report suggests that the false information could be part of a disinformation campaign that started after Trudeau's announcement about India possibly being involved.

The relationship between Canada and India has been very tense since September 2023 because of Trudeau’s accusations. In October 2024, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats, saying India was targeting Canadian citizens. In response, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and took back its high commissioner from Canada.

India strongly disagreed with the Canadian commission's report. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called the report’s claims against India unfounded. The MEA also said that Canada has been interfering in India's internal matters, especially concerning the Khalistan movement. This movement is banned in India but is supported by some members of the Sikh community living in Canada.

Diplomatic talks and resolution

Now, both countries have agreed to restore full diplomatic services. Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Carney also agreed on the need to maintain strong India-Canada ties based on mutual respect, rule of law, and sovereignty.

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