TORONTO — Members of Canada’s Sikh community are voicing deep anger and concern over the federal government’s decision to invite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the upcoming G7 summit in Alberta, citing ongoing threats to their safety and unresolved tensions between the two countries.
Prime Minister Mark Carney extended the invitation to Modi — who is attending as a guest, not a G7 member — ahead of the summit, which begins Sunday in the Rocky Mountains. Modi’s visit marks his first to Canada in a decade and comes amid strained diplomatic relations over the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia.
Nijjar’s murder sparked a diplomatic crisis when then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly accused the Indian government of involvement. India strongly denied any role in the killing and has repeatedly condemned Canada for allegedly harboring Sikh separatists. The issue remains a source of serious contention.
Moninder Singh, a Sikh community leader and close friend of Nijjar, described the invitation as deeply offensive.
“‘Outrage’ is the word I keep hearing from our community,” said Singh, who has received multiple police warnings about threats to his life. “It sends the message that Sikh lives are negotiable when economic interests are on the table.”
Singh and other Sikh leaders are planning to hold a protest in Ottawa on Saturday ahead of Modi’s arrival.
Prime Minister Carney, who is navigating a trade standoff with the United States, has defended his decision to invite Modi by pointing to India’s growing importance in global supply chains and the need for Canada to build broader alliances.
India’s Foreign Ministry has said the invitation presents a chance to “set or reset” the relationship. “It will offer an important opportunity for them to exchange views on bilateral and global issues,” said spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a briefing on Thursday.
But to Singh and others in the Sikh diaspora — Canada’s largest outside India’s Punjab state — that explanation falls short. Singh says Carney’s approach ignores the unresolved safety threats facing many Sikhs in Canada, including himself. In 2023, he was forced to leave his home for months after receiving warnings from authorities.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police confirmed in October that more than a dozen Sikh Canadians had been notified of credible threats against them, many believed to be linked to Indian intelligence operations.
Following Nijjar’s killing, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats, citing direct links to the murder and accusing Indian agents of targeting dissidents through surveillance, extortion, and organized crime networks. India responded by expelling Canadian diplomats and denouncing the allegations as baseless and politically motivated.
While Canada has not presented evidence directly linking Modi himself to these threats, many Sikh leaders argue that engaging the Indian leader at a global summit — without public accountability — undermines the community’s trust in the government.
“Any meeting with India should have come with conditions — starting with Modi’s government taking responsibility and cooperating with investigations,” Singh said. “Instead, it’s business as usual.”
Carney told reporters that Modi had agreed to support a renewed “law enforcement dialogue” between the two countries. Jaiswal confirmed that law enforcement cooperation would continue “in some ways.”
Critics say the invitation reflects a prioritization of trade and foreign policy pragmatism over human rights. Still, some political observers argue the decision reflects a calculated approach to global diplomacy.
“Carney’s guiding principle since taking office has been pragmatism,” said Sanjay Ruparelia, a politics professor at Toronto Metropolitan University. “This is very much a realpolitik decision.”