'Strong push from other G6 to have India at the table': Expert's big claim on why Canada was forced to invite India

Vina Nadjibulla, VP of Research and Strategy at Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada, recently said that Ottawa did not want Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the upcoming G7 summit due to the strained bilateral relations between the two countries.

When asked whether Mark Carney wouldn't have invited PM Modi had it not been for the other G7 leaders, Nadjibullah said that there was a strong push from the G6 that India be at the table. She also mentioned that having India at the table also matters to countries such as France, the US, and the UK. 

She explained: "Every day, there is a new announcement about France or UK or the US doing more with India. Having India there also matters to everybody else. I think there was a strong push from the other G6 to have India at the table. For Canada to also be able to show relevance at the world stage, we can't just engage in diplomacy with those whom we like."

On Friday, Modi confirmed that he will attend the G7 Summit in Canada later this month after an official invite from his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney. The G7 leaders' summit will be held in Kananaskis from June 15-17. 

Carney said that it is important to have India at the G7 Summit, wherein energy security and critical minerals will be one of the focal points, due to its size and key role in the global supply chain. He added that he consulted other G7 leaders on the decision. 

Furthermore, he suggested India is now more willing to co-operate with the ongoing Canadian investigations into the Nijjar killing. 

The ties between India and Canada have been fractious ever since former Canadian PM Justin Trudeau alleged Indian involvement in the assassination of the Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a gurudwara in Surrey, B.C. 

Last year, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) accused Indian government agents of playing a role in "widespread violence" in Canada, including homicides, while warning that it poses "a serious threat to our public safety".

Trudeau's allegation led to reciprocal expulsions of diplomats from both countries and an overall deterioration in diplomatic ties.