PM Modi Not Invited To G-7 Summit In Canada - A First In 6 Years - Amid New Delhi-Ottawa's Strained Ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not expected to attend the upcoming Group of Seven (G7) summit hosted by Canada - marking his first absence in six years and highlighting the strained diplomatic ties between the two nations, reported Bloomberg.

A spokesperson for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the list of G7 attendees would be revealed "in due course."

Photo Credit: AP/PTI

When asked on May 22, ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, "I have no information at this point in time on this issue."

India is not a member of the G7 - a bloc comprising the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, and Japan - but has received invitations to participate every year since 2019.

According to Indian officials, Modi would likely have declined an invitation even if one had been extended, as it remains unclear how Canada's newly elected Carney government intends to address India's concerns regarding Sikh separatist groups active within its borders.

Tensions between the two countries persist following allegations that the Modi administration was connected to homicides and extortion schemes targeting Sikhs in Canada who support the creation of a separate Sikh homeland within India.

The diplomatic row began in September 2023, when then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian agents of orchestrating the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and prominent Sikh separatist.

The Indian government denied the allegations, describing them as "absurd."

Last week, Canada's Foreign Minister Anita Anand and India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar held a phone conversation, raising hopes of improved relations.

India's absence from the G7 summit comes as the country is projected to overtake Japan and become the world's fourth-largest economy by March next year, according to the International Monetary Fund. However, India remains among the lower-ranked nations in terms of per capita income.

The exclusion may affect Modi's carefully cultivated image as a globally significant statesman among his supporters. Opposition MPs have labelled the snub "yet another diplomatic bungle."

In contrast, Canada has extended invitations to several other non-G7 leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Canada has announced that the summit will focus on global economic stability and growth, international peace, and the digital transition.