Modi, Trudeau interact at G7 summit amid tensions over Nijjar killing allegations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a brief interaction with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau on the margins of the G7 leaders’ summit in Apulia, Italy, on Friday, marking the first meeting between the two leaders since the latter’s statement in the House of Commons on September 18 last year that there were “credible allegations” of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia three months earlier.

The meeting was not on the official schedule of either PM.

Trudeau’s office had issued a statement on June 5 following the re-election of Modi to a third term

The last time they had met in person was at the G20 leaders’ summit in New Delhi in September last year. It later emerged that Trudeau had raised the issue of Nijjar’s murder during that exchange.

At the time, his PMO had said that Trudeau raised the importance of respecting the rule of law, democratic principles, and national sovereignty.