Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has become the first international head of the State to express his concerns on the farmers’ protests in India against the controversial Farm Laws. In a video message, Trudeau said that his country will always defend ‘rights of peaceful protest.’ Trudeau’s comments have left the BJP seething as the ruling party said that Canada had no ‘locus standi’ to comment on India’s internal matter.
In a short video shared by World Sikh Organisation, Trudeau said, “The news coming out of India about the protest by farmers. The situation is concerning and we’re all very worried about family and friends. I know that’s a reality for many of you. Let me remind you, Canada will always be there to defend the rights of peaceful protest.”
The 48-year-old popular Canadian PM added, “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 Organization.
Tonight at an online event commemorating Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Gurpurab, @JustinTrudeau expressed concerns about the right to peaceful protest and the #ChaloDelhi campaign in India. He confirmed that Canada has raised the issue with Indian authorities. pic.twitter.com/hf038m14Te
— WSO (@WorldSikhOrg) December 1, 2020
Reacting to Trudeau’s comments, BJP’s Ram Madhav said, “What is his locus standi? Isn’t it tantamount to interference in India’s sovereign matters?”
Thousands of farmers from many states including from Punjab have been camping near the Delhi-Haryana border in protest against the Farm Laws that they say favour big industrialists, close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The topic has divided the NDA forcing the Akali Dal to snap ties with the BJP. Another BJP ally on Monday threatened to walk out of the NDA if the controversial laws were not withdrawn.
Trudeau’s comments assume significance given that a significantly large population of Canada’s ethnic minority hails from the Indian state of Punjab.