'India-Canada relationship going India-Pak way'

October 15, 2024 10:54

Michael Kugelman, a US-based foreign policy expert and the Director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center, on Monday drawn a bleak comparison between India's deteriorating ties with Canada and its long-standing strained relations with Pakistan.

As tensions between India and Canada continue to escalate, Kugelman said, "One could not have imagined that things in this relationship could get worse, but they have."

Kugelman highlighted the seriousness of the situation, noting that the diplomatic fallout between the two countries bears striking similarities to the Indo-Pakistan relationship.

"This is a relationship that's now hit rock bottom and indeed, looking at recent developments, certainly is reminiscent of India's relations with Pakistan in terms of these extremely serious allegations being made, in terms of senior diplomats being expelled, as well as the use of blistering language in government statements, it's all there and of course, the core allegation that we're hearing from India that Canada is sheltering and sponsoring anti-India terrorists. This is what we're used to hearing India say about Pakistan," he pointed out.

Kugelman also spoke the internal political dynamics in Canada that have contributed to the diplomatic rift, saying, "There are a lot of factors at play here. Certainly, one could acknowledge the relevance of the domestic political realities in Canada."

He further noted that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's comments on India's internal matters, particularly his support for the farmers' protests against agricultural laws, had sparked tensions."It is notable that PM Justin Trudeau has made some comments on internal developments in India that one would not expect a Canadian PM to make, such as commenting and expressing support for farmers protesting against Indian agricultural laws," Kugelman added.

While Canada denies harbouring extremists or terrorists, Kugelman pointed out that India remains firm in its disagreement. "Canada does not consider that it is harbouring extremists and terrorists, and certainly this is something that India very rigorously disagrees about," he said. -- ANI

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