'Ultimate in gaslighting’: What Canadian media is saying about India, Trudeau

The controversy traces its roots to Trudeau’s allegation in the Parliament that Indian agents were involved in the assassination of pro-Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was gunned down in British Columbia in June 2023. This accusation, made last year, set off a diplomatic firestorm. Last week, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) released a statement, staring, “An extraordinary situation is compelling us to speak about what we have discovered in our multiple ongoing investigations into the involvement of agents of the Government of India in serious criminal activity in Canada… The team has learned a significant amount of information about the breadth and depth of criminal activity orchestrated by agents of the Government of India, and consequential threats to the safety and security of Canadians and individuals living in Canada.”

At a press conference on October 14, Trudeau said that these acts included the murder of Nijjar. And he accused the Narendra Modi government of supporting them. “The Government of India made a fundamental error in thinking that they could engage in supporting criminal activity against Canadians. We will never tolerate the involvement of a foreign government threatening and killing Canadian citizens on Canadian soil, a deeply unacceptable violation of Canada’s sovereignty and of international law,” Trudeau said. In response, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and withdrew six of its diplomats after Canada designated the Indian ambassador and other diplomats as ‘persons of interest’ in their investigation into Nijjar’s assassination.

Also read: 'Horrific mistake': Justin Trudeau accuses India of interfering in Canada's sovereignty

Canadian media’s coverage of the recent row harks back to the assassination of Nijjar, a Canadian citizen of Indian origin, and a fervent supporter of the Khalistan movement, which seeks an independent Sikh state in India’s Punjab region, an aspiration that India strongly opposes and has outlawed. It has framed Nijjar’s assassination not as an isolated incident but as part of a larger plot concerning India’s potential engagement in ‘transnational repression’. The claim that India, a country courted by the West as a counterweight to China, could have violated Canada’s sovereignty in such a ‘brazen’ manner has been looked at with alarm.

India’s move ‘the ultimate in gaslighting’

Trudeau’s bombshell allegations, relations between Ottawa and New Delhi plummeted. Canadian outlets like The Globe and Mail and Toronto Star describe India’s recent move as ‘unprecedented’ in the history of Canada-India relations. A collective sense of shock has enveloped political analysts and commentators as they grapple with the seriousness of the claims. In an opinion piece published in The Globe and Mail on October 14, 2024, Condemning India’s alleged role in the assassination, John Ibbitson called India’s response ‘the ultimate in gaslighting.’

Ibbitson writes: “Any democratic government, once informed of such grave accusations by another democratic government, would normally promise and provide full cooperation. Instead, the Indian government issued a statement on Monday (October 14) that said: ‘The Government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Government that is centered around vote bank politics.’ So, the Government of India, when confronted with evidence gathered by Canadian police of complicity by Indian officials in criminal acts committed in Canada, responded with counterallegations that could only be true if the Canadian police and government were both completely corrupt and Canadian democracy a sham.” He underlines that countries have “gone to war over less,” a chilling reminder of the gravity of these accusations. This critique reflects a sentiment in Canadian media that India’s handling of the situation is both “irresponsible and damaging”.

Canadian news outlets have frequently drawn comparisons between the swift deterioration in relations with India and Canada’s handling of similar allegations against other countries. The Globe and Mail pointed out that India was adopting a far more cautious and respectful approach toward similar accusations by the United States, which further exacerbated the sense that Canada is being unfairly treated. “Canada is the weak kid in the playground,” writes Ibbitson, underscoring the frustration many in the country feel about Canada’s relatively powerless position in global geopolitics.

The impact on Indo-Canadian relations

As diplomatic ties between India and Canada rapidly crumble, Canadian media has also examined the broader consequences of this spat. In an editorial published by The Globe and Mail on October 19, titled “India is not the friend Canada thought it was,” the editorial board laments the collapse of what had been a historically amicable relationship. The piece highlights how only six years ago, Canada and India had signed agreements aimed at strengthening ties in areas such as trade, nuclear science, and combating terrorism. Yet, in the wake of the Nijjar incident, all of those efforts now seem distant and naive. The editorial also points out that while Canada had long regarded India as a “critical partner” with a “shared tradition of democracy and pluralism,” the current reality could not be more different. The editorial argues that India, under the increasingly ‘authoritarian’ leadership of Modi, is “auditioning for the rogues’ gallery” of nations that flout international norms, such as Russia, China, and Iran.

Also read: India's remaining diplomats 'clearly on notice': Canada

The Toronto Star, too, has explored the implications of the current diplomatic freeze. In an opinion piece titled “Justin Trudeau hasn’t always been right on India. But he is this time,” published on October 17, the newspaper acknowledges Trudeau’s past missteps in managing the bilateral relationship but defends his stance in the current crisis. The paper argues that while Trudeau had previously fumbled by mishandling issues related to India — such as his ill-advised 2018 trip that included a Sikh separatist convicted of attempted murder — none of that excused India’s alleged criminal actions on Canadian soil. “The Prime Minister had no option but to aggressively expel Indian diplomats this week,” the article stated, given India’s disregard for Canadian sovereignty and the rule of law.

The political fallout in Canada

Canadian media outlets have also zeroed in on the domestic political ramifications of the dispute. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has criticised Trudeau’s government for failing to keep Canadians safe and for allowing foreign interference to fester unchecked. Poilievre’s comments, which were widely covered in Canadian newspapers and television news, have sparked debate about whether Trudeau’s government has been overly lenient toward pro-Khalistani elements of the Sikh diaspora for political gain.

This aspect of the story has been a focal point for many commentators. In particular, Trudeau’s past support for Indian farmers during their protests against Modi’s agricultural reforms and his boast about having more Sikh cabinet members than Modi has been framed as part of a pattern of political miscalculation. Critics argue that these actions have alienated India and made it easier for the Modi government to paint Trudeau as someone sympathetic to Sikh separatists. At the same time, Sikh activists in Canada have expressed relief at Trudeau’s forceful response to the Nijjar assassination, with some community leaders calling for further sanctions against India’s intelligence agency.

The Canadian media has also commented on Canada’s intelligence-sharing practices in light of the allegations. A recent The Globe and Mail editorial suggests that the government should suspend its intelligence-sharing agreement with India, questioning why it had not already done so in the immediate aftermath of the Nijjar incident. Lawyer Prabjot Singh, representing the Sikh Coalition, pressed Trudeau on this very issue during the prime minister’s testimony before a public inquiry into foreign interference.

Also read: India-Canada diplomatic row: Western media mostly pro-Canada

Trudeau’s reluctance to commit to any drastic action — such as cutting off intelligence sharing or imposing sanctions on India’s officials — has left Canadian commentators divided. While some see his cautious approach as a necessary move to avoid further escalation, others interpret it as a sign of weakness. “We are not looking to provoke or create a fight with India,” Trudeau said in his testimony, a statement that has been widely dissected by media outlets. Given that the two countries are already embroiled in a heated conflict, some observers feel that Trudeau’s statement reflects an unwillingness to confront India more forcefully.

International fallout and the Western response

In addition to domestic concerns, Canadian media has also explored the international implications of the rift between Ottawa and New Delhi. Commentators have expressed alarm at how the dispute may affect Canada’s alliances, particularly with the United States and the European Union. Western countries have spent the past several years cultivating closer ties with India as part of a larger strategy to counterbalance China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

However, Trudeau’s allegations of India’s involvement in extrajudicial killings on Canadian soil have cast a shadow over these efforts. Canadian media has pointed out that countries such as the United States and Australia have remained conspicuously silent on the matter, raising questions about whether they are willing to risk their relationships with India to support Canada. At the same time, outlets like The Toronto Star urge the Canadian government to continue pressing its allies to hold India accountable for any potential violations of international law.

As the diplomatic tussle between Canada and India drags on, Canadian media coverage reflects the uncertainty surrounding the future of the bilateral relationship. While some commentators remain hopeful that ties can eventually be repaired, others warn that the damage may be irreparable. In the short term, there is little sign of de-escalation. Both governments have taken firm stances, with India showing no willingness to cooperate with Canadian investigations, and Trudeau standing by his government’s allegations. Canadian media is likely to remain a key player in shaping public perception of the crisis, offering insights into not only the political machinations but also the impact on the Canadian Sikh community and the country’s role on the international stage.