Stephen Harper isn’t mincing words: Canada’s rift with India is a self-inflicted wound. In a Feb. 28 speech in New Delhi, the ex-PM lamented a “steady deterioration” since he left office, pinning the blame on Sikh separatists he claims have wormed into the Liberal Party. “It should not be infiltrating our governing party,” Harper told the NXT Conclave, urging politicians to prioritize “people-to-people ties” over the Khalistan cause—a movement he called a “fringe minority” irrelevant to most Canadians.
The comments land amid a diplomatic deep freeze sparked by Trudeau’s 2023 claim of Indian involvement in Nijjar’s killing, followed by RCMP accusations of widespread criminal acts tied to New Delhi. Harper praised Indian PM Narendra Modi—his “friend” and a towering figure in global politics—for keeping grassroots connections alive despite the chill. Modi and Harper’s bond runs deep; as chair of the International Democrat Union, Harper has long championed the Indian leader’s vision.