New Delhi: In a clear warning to pro-Khalistan anti-India separatists operating from Canada, Prime Minister Narendra Modi — after holding talks with Canadian PM Justin Trudeau on Friday — said “no tolerance would be shown” for those challenging India’s “unity and integrity”. This is also being seen as a veiled message to the Trudeau government which is perceived by many to be soft on pro-Khalistan Sikh radicals. Modi said there should be no place for those who use sectarianism for political purposes and create divisions in society.
The two countries also unveiled a “framework” for “countering terrorism and violent extremism” which mentioned threats from Khalistani terror groups Babbar Khalsa International, and the International Sikh Youth Federation apart from the Pakistan-based terror outfits LeT and JeM. The Khalistan issue has overshadowed Mr Trudeau’s week-long visit to India. After talks, the two Prime Ministers “resolved to combat terrorism and violent extremism in all their forms and manifestations”.
They also called for “bringing terrorists to justice and holding accountable state sponsors of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism” and “further emphasised that no country should allow its territory to be used for terrorist and violent extremist activities.” Both countries signed six pacts including on energy cooperation and agreed to step up trade ties apart from endorsing “the continuation of uranium exports from Canada for peaceful use of civil nuclear power”.
“Those challenging the unity and integrity of our two countries cannot be tolerated. There should be no space for those who misuse sectarianism for political purposes and widen the gulf of divisions. Terrorism is a threat to democratic societies like India and Canada,” Modi said in his speech.
