June 9, 2025
Parteek Singh Mahal
Sikh organizations across the Canada urges members of parliament to oppose Prime Minister Mark Carney’s decision to invite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the upcoming G7 Summit.
Sikh organizations confirmed that they will gather at Parliament Hill on June 14 for a national rally against Modi’s arrival to Canada.
The organizations representing Sikh Canadians have expressed shock after PM Carney sent a formal invitation to his Indian counterpart Modi, who confirmed on Friday he would be attending the G7 meeting in Alberta this month.
Canada will host the G7 leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, in Kananaskis from June 15 to 17. India has been invited and has attended past G7 meetings as well.
Sikh organizations including the Sikh Federation (Canada), Ontario Gurdwaras Committee, Quebec Sikh Council and World Sikh Organization of Canada, have sent an open letter to over 20 members of parliament urging them to oppose PM Carney’s decision to invite Narendra Modi to the upcoming G7 Summit.
Organizations in letter claimed that “it is grave insult to Sikhs in Canada, particularly in light of the confirmed involvement of Indian officials in the assassination of Canadian citizen Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar.”
The organizations demand three key actions: public opposition to Modi’s invitation, the establishment of an independent public inquiry into Indian transnational repression, and the suspension of all Canada-India security cooperation that may endanger political dissidents.
The letter warns that silence from MPs will be viewed as complicity and confirms.
On Friday, Modi confirmed he had accepted Carney’s invitation to attend, saying he spoke to Carney by phone and congratulated him on his April 28 election victory.
“As vibrant democracies bound by deep people-to-people ties, India and Canada will work together with renewed vigour, guided by mutual respect and shared interests. Look forward to our meeting at the Summit,” said Modi, on social media .
Modi’s upcoming trip to Canada signals a break in tensions in Canada-India relations, which had been sparked by the assassination of a Sikh activist outside of a temple in Surrey, B.C., in June 2023.
However, after opposition from various Sikh organizations and NDP leaders as well, Carney defended extending the invitation to India, saying it represents the world’s fifth-largest economy and boasts the largest population. India is also central to supply chains, he added, and said having the country at the table was discussed among G7 countries.
“So it makes sense.”
The prime minister also said he and Modi agreed to continue “law enforcement to law enforcement dialogue.” Carney said “some progress” had been made on issues of “accountability.”
“I extended the invitation to Prime Minister Modi in that context and he has accepted,” he added.
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