Defending his government’s record on pro-Khalistan activists, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday that Canada has always taken “serious action” against terrorism.

He made such comments in response to allegations from India, which on Monday called Canada’s envoy to New Delhi to express worry over the country’s pro-Khalistan supporters’ rising activities. Additionally, India’s diplomatic action comes two days before a pro-Khalistan event that is planned for July 8 in front of the Indian High Commission in Ottawa.

“They are wrong. Canada has always taken extremely seriously violence and threats of violence. We have always taken serious action against terrorism, and we always will,” Mr. Trudeau stated at a press conference, rejecting the notion that his government is soft on Khalistan supporters and terrorists.

The Canadian Prime Minister’s comments were prompted by questions regarding a controversial parade float in the Greater Toronto Area last month. The float, set up by Khalistan supporters marking the 39th anniversary of Operation Blue Star, depicted a tableau of assassinated former prime minister Indira Gandhi with blood on her clothes and a poster reading, “Revenge of attack on Shri Darbar Sahib”.

Further inflaming the situation, provocative pro-Khalistan posters labeling several senior Indian diplomats as “killers” have recently sparked widespread outrage in India.

“We have an extremely diverse country and freedom of expression is something that we value, but we will always make sure that we are pushing back against violence and extremism in all its forms,” Mr Trudeau affirmed.

India has reportedly requested the Canadian authorities to take adequate measures considering the planned protests by pro-Khalistan groups outside Indian missions in Canada on July 8.

Canada has reassured India of the security of its ambassadors in response to these worries. This guarantee follows a request by Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for all allies, including the US, UK, and Canada, to refrain from giving a platform to “extremist Khalistani ideology,” claiming that doing so harms relations between nations.

On Monday, Mr. Jaishankar voiced his alarm over Khalistani posters targeting Indian diplomats in Canada and denounced the “radical, extremist Khalistani ideology.”

In a statement on Tuesday, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly echoed Mr. Trudeau’s commitment to the Vienna Conventions regarding diplomat safety. She termed the “promotional material” circulating in the lead-up to the Khalistan rally as “unacceptable” and emphasized that the actions of a few individuals “do not speak for an entire community or Canada”.

(This story has not been edited by Bharat Express staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)