India protests officially against Canadian PM Trudeau’s remark

New Delhi: India has lodged an official protest with the Canadian government against prime minister Justin Trudeau’s comments on the farmers’ protest, ET has learnt. Trudeau’s remarks could dampen recent efforts to rejuvenate bilateral ties, including ministerial and academic dialogues, a source said.

Participating in a Facebook interaction organised by Canadian MP Bardish Chagger to mark the 551st birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, Trudeau had on Monday said: “I would be remiss if I didn’t start also by recognising 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 right of peaceful protest. We believe in the importance of dialogue and that’s why we’ve reached out through multiple means directly to the Indian authorities to highlight our concerns.”

The MEA responded by saying it was an ignorant comment, without taking his name. “We have seen some ill-informed comments by Canadian leaders relating to farmers in India. Such comments are unwarranted, especially when pertaining to the internal affairs of a democratic country,” MEA spokesman Anurag Srivastava said on Tuesday.