Raymonde Gagne, the Speaker of the Canadian Senate, has opted not to attend the Presiding Officers' Summit of Parliaments of G20 nations taking place in New Delhi. This decision is a direct consequence of the recent strain in relations between India and Canada. The tensions escalated when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made allegations of a "potential link" between agents of the Indian government and the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey in June.
Raymonde Gagne's absence was officially confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs, which stated that no Canadian representative would be participating in the P20 Summit.
The P20 Summit, scheduled for October 13-14 at the India International Convention and Expo Center in Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, is being hosted by the Parliament of India under the broader framework of India's G20 Presidency.
The diplomatic discord between India and Canada originated in the prior month when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asserted that Canadian security agencies possessed "credible evidence" indicating possible connections between agents of the Indian government and the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijaar, who was the leader of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). Najjar was fatally shot outside a gurdwara by two unidentified assailants in Surrey in June.
India has vehemently refuted these allegations, describing them as both "absurd" and "motivated."
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