Remarks on farm stir can harm ties, India tells Canada

New Delhi, February 5

India has told Canada that remarks on its internal affairs by its top leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has the potential to harm bilateral ties.

“The government is aware of Trudeau’s remarks regarding the farm laws. We have raised this incident with competent authorities of Canada, both in Ottawa and New Delhi. The Indian Government has told them that comments related to India’s internal affairs are inappropriate and unacceptable and may harm the India-Canada bilateral relations,” Minister of State for External Affairs V Muralidharan said in response to a question in Rajya Sabha.

Shiv Sena’s Anil Desai wanted to know if the government was aware of the intervention in India’s internal affairs through Trudeau’s comments against farm laws passed by Parliament. He had also asked if the government thought those observations were unfair and unnecessary, and if any protest was lodged with the Canadian authorities. Trudeau had expressed concern over the tear-gassing of farmers while they were on their way to the national capital. — TNS