Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi forthcoming participate in the G7 Summit. The summit is scheduled to be held in Kananaskis, Alberta, from June 15-17. This has triggered a political storm in Canada. This summit brings together the world’s most advanced economies, seen as a prestigious platform for discussing global economic, security, and climate change.
The decision by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to invite Modi as a special guest sparked considerable backlash from human rights groups and sections of the Sikh Diaspora and opposition leaders in Canada. This outrage stemmed from simmering diplomatic tension between the nations. The most explosive issue arising is the assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.
What had transpired?
In June 2023, Nijjar was shot dead outside a gurudwara in Surrey, British Columbia. He initially labeled a “targeted killing” by local police, the case took a geopolitical turn when Canada’s federal police after extensive investigations. This impacted high-level Indian government operatives in orchestrating the assassinations, “absurd and motivated.” This fallout was immediate and severe as both nations expelled senior diplomats and suspended visa services they halting several collaborative dialogues.
The diplomatic relations which had been teetering on a fragile edge for years due to differing stances on Khalistani separatism plunged to an all-time low.
The invitation has struck a raw nerve within Canada’s Sikh community. These numbers are nearly 800.000 and are politically influential in several regions. The World Sikh organization (WSO) of Canada issued a strong condemnation of this invitation/ They have labelled the betrayal of Canadian values and a signal that geopolitical expediency is being prioritized over justice and accountability.
Compounding the anger is the timing, schedule is to take place just days before the anniversary of Nijjar’s assassination, making the optics even more controversial. Protests have been planned in Albert, and several community leaders have called on Carney to rescind the invitation.
Beyond the Canada-India standoff, Modi’s G7 participation comes against the backdrop of heightened diplomatic tensions between India and several other nations, complicating his position on the global stage. Relations between the 2 nations already hostile. Taking a dramatic turn in April 2025 after the terrorist attack on a tourist convoy in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir. Relations between India and Pakistan, already hostile, took a dramatic turn in April 2025 following a terrorist attack on a tourist convoy in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir.
The attack claimed that the Islamic Resistance Front left more than 30 civilians dead and prompted a swift and hardline response from New Delhi. India suspended the Indus Water Treaty, a cornerstone of its river-sharing arrangement with Pakistan, and imposed new diplomatic and travel restrictions. In retaliation, Islamabad suspended the Simla Agreement and closed its airspace to India’s commercial flights, measures that signaled a temporary breakdown in bilateral communication and protocol.
Another front of tension emerged with the Maldives. In late 2023, the island nation elected Mohamed Muizzu as president. He campaigned on a strong anti-India plank and accused New Delhi of military overreach in the region. True to his campaign promise, Muizzu demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel stationed in the Maldives under a bilateral security and development framework.
India complied by May 2024, replacing its military teams with civilian staff tasked with maintaining aviation platforms gifted to the Maldives. While these withdrawals de-escalated immediate tensions, they reflected a growing discomfort among India’s smaller regional neighbors over what they perceive as hegemonic behaviour.
The tensions with Turkey have also escalated. India accused Ankara of supplying drones and surveillance technology to Pakistan during the recent escalation in Kashmir. New Delhi imposed economic sanctions and suspended cultural and academic exchanges with Turkish institutions.
Moreover, an unfortunate incident involving Bangladesh increased tensions. In December 2024, members of the Hindu Sangharsh Samity attacked the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission inAgartala, Tripura, in response to reports of attacks on Hindu minorities in Dhaka.
The incident sparked a strong diplomatic protest from Bangladesh, leading to the suspension of visa and consular services for Indian nationals. While both countries have since engaged in back-channel diplomacy to ease tensions, the event highlighted the vulnerability of subcontinental ties to domestic politics and communal sentiments.
Against this volatile backdrop, Modi’s presence at the G7 Summit is as much a diplomatic opportunity as it is a public relations challenge. On the one hand, his attendance reaffirms India’s growing relevance in global economic and strategic affairs.
On the other hand, the absence of a scheduled bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the summit indicates that the wounds in India-Canada relations are far from healed. While Modi is likely to engage with other G7 leaders on matters of trade, climate action, and technology cooperation, the shadow of the Nijjar assassination and the resulting diplomatic fallout will undoubtedly loom large.
In conclusion, Modi’s invitation to the G7 Summit has illuminated the complex dualities of contemporary diplomacy. While global leaders increasingly recognize India’s strategic importance in a multipolar world, the internal and external tensions surrounding its leadership cannot be ignored. For Prime Minister Modi, the summit presents a chance to reinforce India’s international standing—but it also offers a reminder that soft power must be carefully balanced with accountability and respect for international norms.
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