RIO DE JANEIRO: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and US President Joe Biden were seen briefly interacting during a group photograph at the G20 Summit in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday. Despite ongoing tensions between India and Canada, the three leaders were captured together, with Biden standing between Modi and Trudeau as they conversed.
The world leaders gathered for the photo at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio, marking a key moment of the summit.
Strained India-Canada Relations
India-Canada relations have been significantly strained since September last year, when Trudeau alleged a link between Indian government agents and the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, Canada. India rejected these claims, calling them baseless, as Nijjar had been declared a terrorist by India.
Relations worsened further when Canada recently sought to question Indian diplomats in connection with Nijjar’s murder, leading India to expel several Canadian diplomats. India has also accused Canada of failing to curb the activities of pro-Khalistan supporters, who are seen as a threat to India’s sovereignty.
Hindu Temple Attack in Canada
Tensions between the two nations were also fueled by a recent attack on a Hindu temple near Toronto, allegedly by pro-Khalistan radicals. Modi condemned the violence and demanded that the Canadian government take strong action against the perpetrators. In a statement on social media, Modi said such acts of violence would never weaken India’s resolve and called on the Canadian government to ensure justice.
The G20 Summit’s family photo captured a rare moment of interaction between leaders amid ongoing diplomatic challenges, underscoring the complexity of global relations in times of tension.
