Taking strong exception to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other leaders’ comments regarding the ongoing agitation by farmers, India on Tuesday termed the remarks as “unwarranted” and “ill informed.” It also asserted that the stir is an internal matter of the country.
Making this assertion here, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, “We have seen some ill-informed comments by Canadian leaders relating to farmers in India. Such comments are unwarranted, especially when pertaining to the internal affairs of a democratic country.”
In a stern message, New Delhi said, “It is also best that diplomatic conversations are not misrepresented for political purposes.”
The rebuttal came a day after Trudeau in a video posted on his Twitter account said, “The situation is concerning and we are all very worried about family and friends and I know that is a reality for many of you. Let me remind you, Canada will always be there to defend the right of peaceful protest.”
He also said, “We believe in importance of dialogue and that is why we have reached out through multiple means directly to Indian authorities to highlight our concerns.”
He made these remarks while addressing the Indian community in Canada during an online event on Monday to mark the 551st birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.
Trudeau said he would be remiss if he did not recognise the “news coming out of India about the protest by farmers. The situation is concerning and we are all very worried about family and friends and I know that is a reality for many of you.” Trudeau is the first world leader to comment on the farmers’ protests.
“We believe in the importance of dialogue and that’s why, we’ve reached out to multiple means, directly to the India authorities to highlight our concerns. This is a moment for all of us to pull together,” the Canadian leader in a video posted by the World Sikh Organisation.