NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is unlikely to attend the upcoming G7 summit in Canada, as he has not received an official invitation, according to Indian media reports. This marks the first time in six years that India will not be present at the high-level gathering of world leaders.
The summit, scheduled to take place in Kananaskis, Alberta from June 15 to 17, is being hosted by Can-ada—amid strained bilateral relations with India. Tensions have been heightened by Canada’s allega-tions of Indian involvement in the killing of a pro-Khalistan separatist leader on Canadian soil in 2023.
The controversy centres on the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and vocal advocate of Khalistan, a separatist movement for Sikhs. Ottawa publicly accused Indian agents of in-volvement, triggering a diplomatic fallout. In response, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats, including the head of mission.
In October 2024, Canadian authorities further escalated their claims, accusing Indian Home Affairs Min-ister Amit Shah—an influential figure in Modi’s cabinet—of orchestrating plots to target Sikh sepa-ratists abroad. Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison told a parliamentary panel that he had informed a US-based newspaper of Shah’s alleged role.
According to The Times of India and other local outlets, Modi has not received a formal invitation to the summit. While India has participated in every G7 summit since 2019, this year’s absence under-scores the ongoing tension in Canada-India relations. –Agencies
