Carney defends inviting India's Modi to G7 summit as Liberal MP calls it 'a bad idea'

Prime Minister Mark Carney again defended inviting India's premier curate to the G7 gathering successful Alberta, saying it makes consciousness to person the person of the world's astir populous state astir the array erstwhile determination are "big challenges" to discuss.

Carney made the comments connected Wednesday aft gathering with a subordinate of his caucus who told reporters that including Narendra Modi is simply a "bad idea."

Canada-India relations person been connected shaky crushed since erstwhile premier curate Justin Trudeau and the RCMP alleged Indian agents were progressive successful the sidesplitting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Canadian Khalistani separatist who was brazenly gunned down extracurricular a Sikh temple in B.C. successful 2023.

Nijjar and others successful that question person been calling for an autarkic Sikh homeland successful bluish India called Khalistan, which Modi's authorities has vigorously opposed and denounced arsenic a nationalist information threat.

"We've made advancement with India successful a bilateral sense. They are OK with having a ineligible process betwixt instrumentality enforcement entities," Carney said successful a French interrogation with Radio-Canada, referring to immoderate benignant of imaginable co-operation betwixt Canadian constabulary and Indian authorities implicit Nijjar's murder.

"There is simply a process successful B.C. concerning the sidesplitting of a Canadian national that is ongoing, and that volition continue. India knows that," Carney told Patrice Roy.

Asked if he's spoken to Modi astir Nijjar and the ongoing constabulary investigation, Carney said: "Yes, I have."

Carney said Canada wants to sermon vigor security, captious minerals and the improvement of artificial quality — 3 of his stated priorities for this gathering of satellite leaders — and it's "hard to person those discussions without India."

Canada holds the G7 presidency this twelvemonth and has a "responsibility to person a array that tin sermon large challenges," helium said.

The Prime Minister's Office confirmed Wednesday that leaders from each G7 countries on with Brazil, South Africa, India, United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Ukraine, Mexico and Australia — positive the NATO caput general, UN caput general, the European Union caput general and the head of the World Bank — volition beryllium successful attendance for astatine slightest portion of the proceedings successful Kananaskis.

WATCH | Modi coming is simply a 'bad idea,' Dhaliwal says: 

B.C. MP Sukh Dhaliwal, meanwhile, told reporters helium met with Carney aboriginal Wednesday to explicit what helium says are constituents' frustrations with the determination to include Modi.

"The RCMP has intelligibly stated there's credible grounds Indian agents were progressive successful the assassination of a Canadian national connected Canadian soil," Dhaliwal said of Nijjar. "It's a atrocious idea" to see Modi, helium said.

Canada expelled immoderate Indian diplomats after the Nijjar allegations were made public. The government has said determination are "linkages" betwixt the 4 Indian nationals arrested and charged with Nijjar's execution and the Indian government.

Dhaliwal said Carney is "very strong" connected the contented and volition correspond Sikh concerns astir Indian interference and transnational crime erstwhile speaking to Modi.

"I'm saying it's not a bully idea, but present he's invited. We person to determination forward," helium said.

Another Liberal B.C. MP, Gurbux Saini, besides said his voters are "concerned" astir the invitation.

Beyond the Nijjar killing, the Foreign Interference Commission's last study besides identified India arsenic a apical meddler successful Canadian affairs.

The committee reviewed quality suggesting Indian-aligned proxies whitethorn person clandestinely provided fiscal enactment to assorted Canadian politicians to effort and get much pro-Indian candidates elected.

The study besides recovered that India has utilized "disinformation" to further its goals successful Canada.

Liberal MP Karina Gould, a past furniture curate and enactment contender, said quality rights should beryllium connected the docket erstwhile Carney meets with Modi.

She besides criticized the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who volition not attend.

"I recognize wherefore they were invited. Part of diplomacy is having these conversations — you don't unopen the doorway to them," Gould said. "But we're besides lasting up for values that are important to Canadians."

WATCH | MPs asked astir India, Saudi Arabia invites: 

The Modi invitation is simply a motion Carney whitethorn beryllium looking to reset relations with India aft a peculiarly "fractious" play nether the past Liberal government, said Fen Hampson, a prof of planetary affairs astatine Carleton University.

"It's sending a affirmative signal," Hampson said successful an interrogation with CBC News.

And determination are signs India whitethorn beryllium unfastened to a rapprochement due to the fact that Modi accepted the invitation "immediately," Hampson said, dissimilar Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum who took days to see whether to spell oregon not.

India is the world's fifth-largest economy, a "major determination actor" successful the Indo-Pacific and an progressively important subordinate connected the planetary stage, and bringing Modi present for the G7 is simply a mode for Carney to awesome he's taking Canada's overseas argumentation successful a antithetic direction, Hampson said.

He said a multilateral gathering similar the G7 "does springiness the premier curate immoderate cover" from home critics.

"It would beryllium precise antithetic if it was an invitation for a bilateral heads of authorities gathering successful Ottawa. At slightest this tin beryllium done nether the cloak of the G7," Hampson said.

The propulsion to diversify the system is wherefore different Liberal MPs were deferential to Carney and his determination to see Modi. 

Canada is facing an economical "crisis" with U.S. relations astatine a debased point, International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu said, and Canada needs to "collaborate" and "work retired immoderate of the issues" with India.

MP Yasir Naqvi, the parliamentary caput to Sidhu, said "there's nary excuse for the precise superior allegations astir extrajudicial killings," but said the gathering is an accidental for the 2 leaders to "engage" connected the larger issue.

"This lone happens if there's a narration betwixt our governments," Naqvi said. 

WATCH | Conservative person connected Modi's invitation: 

"Canada is trying to unfastened the doorway connected relationships and say, 'We request to diversify our commercialized vastly,'" added MP Rob Oliphant, the parliamentary caput to the curate of overseas affairs.

"The connection to the satellite is Canada is simply a vibrant trading partner."

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said earlier this week that India is "one of the biggest and fastest-growing economies" successful the world. India is simply a promising imaginable market for Canadian liquefied earthy state and atomic powerfulness technology, among different products, Poilievre said, and that benignant of commercialized depends connected improving relations.

"We request to enactment with India … connected commercialized and security," helium said. "The invitation is necessary." 

WATCH | NDP MP slams invitations:

Meanwhile, NDP MP Heather McPherson said Modi's inclusion is "deeply alarming."

"This authorities has consistently and precise intelligibly chosen profits and the system implicit quality rights, implicit people," she said. "Profit implicit people. That's their mantra."