Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil amid strained relations between the two countries.
The two leaders were seen interacting with US President Joe Biden. The traditional family photo-op brought the three leaders together, joined by other world figures. PM Modi was seen laughing while Trudeau smiled as Biden chatted with both of them.
World leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron walked down a red carpeted ramp at Rio’s stunning bayside museum of modern art to the group photo set-up. They took to a stage, chatted and joked as they gathered to pose against the backdrop of the Brazilian city’s iconic Sugarloaf Mountain. The snap was over in a second.
The photo-op comes in the backdrop of deteriorating relations between India and Canada over last year’s assassination of India-designated Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, for which Ottawa alleged Indian involvement. India has rejected the allegations, calling them “preposterous”, and accused Trudeau of harbouring Khalistanis who are not only plotting against India but also attacking Hindus on Canadian soil.
Of late, there has been an increase in incidents involving attacks on Hindu devotees in Canada’s temples, prompting a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has condemned the “deliberate attack”.
Indian intelligence and government agencies, meanwhile, are of the view that Trudeau is backing Khalistani groups to ensure MP Jagmeet Singh’s support in next year’s election, giving the Liberal Party’s rapid decline in popularity as polls show it would lose badly to the opposition Conservative Party