Justin Trudeau Resigns: Did Siding With 'Extremists' Cost Canadian PM His Job?

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday that he intends to resign from both his position as Prime Minister and as leader of the Liberal Party when the party elects its next leader.

His resignation will take effect once the new leader is chosen, with Trudeau stating that he has requested the party president to begin the process.

Photo Credit: AP/PTI

This decision follows increasing discontent within the Liberal Party, as Trudeau's popularity has declined in recent months.

His government narrowly survived several no-confidence votes, and many critics have called for his resignation, reported News18.

In India, his tenure will likely be most remembered for the deteriorating diplomatic relations following the killing of 'designated' terrorist and pro-Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Trudeau's government has been criticised for its increasingly lenient stance toward extremists and radicals seeking refuge in Canada, which has led to accusations that his administration is "pro-terror" since he came to power in 2015.

Here's a timeline of events:

2016: 'EXTREMIST' LITERATURE IN CANADIAN MOSQUES

In August 2016, a study titled "Lovers of Death?": Islamist Extremism in Our Mosques, Schools and Libraries, claimed that several mosques in Canada were spreading "extremist" literature, putting young children at risk. The study was authored by former intelligence analyst Thomas Quiggin and journalist Saied Shoaaib, who is originally from Egypt.

In 2015, Trudeau's first year in office, the Senate defence and security committee issued a report stating that foreign-trained imams were spreading extremist religious ideologies that were incompatible with Canadian values, contributing to radicalisation.

2017: TRUDEAU'S ALLY, NDP TAKEN OVER BY PRO-KHALISTAN LEADER

In 2017, Jagmeet Singh, a vocal pro-Khalistan leader who had attended events supporting anti-India sentiment, became the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), Trudeau's ally. Singh's campaign spokesperson, Amneet Bali, was reportedly associated with an organisation called the Sikh Activist Network (SAN), which promoted opposition to India's government. Singh had also campaigned for clemency for Balwant Singh Rajoana, who was involved in the 1995 assassination of Punjab's Chief Minister Beant Singh. India denied Singh a visa for these reasons.

2018: CANADA ACKNOWLEDGES 'ANTI-INDIA TERROR' SENTIMENTS

2018 marked Trudeau's first visit to India as Prime Minister. That year, there was increasing movement in Canada to acknowledge the problem of Khalistani extremism. In October, Canada suspended an Islamic charity, the Islamic Society of North America-Canada (ISNA-Canada), for allegedly funding Kashmir terrorists by donating US$90,000 to the Relief Organisation for Kashmiri Muslims (ROKM), a charity linked to Pakistan's Jamaat-e-Islami.

2019: CANADA'S 'SURRENDER' TO KHALISTANIS

In April 2019, Canadian news outlet Global News reported that the government had removed a reference to Sikh extremism from its 2018 terrorism threat report after pressure from Sikh groups. The reference was replaced with a more neutral term-'Extremists who support violent means to establish an independent state within India'.

2023 AND 2024: BRAZEN 'PRO-TERROR' IGNORANCE

In 2023 and 2024, Trudeau's government turned a blind eye to rising radicalism in Canada, with multiple incidents highlighting the extent of this problem.

January 2023: A Toronto elementary school emailed a picture of an ISIS flag to parents during 'Islamic Heritage Month'. The school principal later apologised, but offered no explanation.

September 2023: Trudeau defended pro-Khalistan rallies, asserting that "Canada will always defend freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, and freedom of peaceful protest."

September 2023: Trudeau accused India of being involved in the killing of Nijjar, without providing evidence, a move that exacerbated tensions with India.

November 2023: A petition in Canada, backed by the Liberal Party's Sukh Dhaliwal, called Nijjar a "peaceful" member of the Canadian Sikh community.

February 2024: A 15-year-old boy was charged with plotting a terror attack on Jewish people in Canada.

April 2024: Trudeau attended a pro-Khalistan event in Toronto, where anti-India slogans were raised, and did not object to them, despite India registering a strong protest.

September 2024: A Pakistani national was arrested in Quebec for allegedly planning a terror attack on Jews in New York City.

October 2024: Pro-Palestinian protesters in Vancouver raised "death to Canada" slogans while burning Canadian flags.

November 2024: Carleton University hired Hassan Diab, a convicted terrorist involved in a 1980 synagogue attack in Paris, as an instructor, despite ongoing calls for his extradition to France.

November 2024: Investigations revealed that Nijjar had donated to Jagmeet Singh's NDP between 2014 and 2019, and separatist Mo Dhaliwal had also made donations to the party.