(Ottawa) The NDP is calling on the Trudeau government to boycott the activities of the G20 in India, which has held the rotating presidency of the economic group since Thursday.
New Democrats believe the Canadian government must leave its chair empty “because of India’s horrendous discriminatory laws,” reads their statement.
MP Heather McPherson will say more this Thursday at a press conference with representatives of the Sikh and Muslim communities.
This request is made as the ink is barely dry on the Liberal government’s new Indo-Pacific strategy, where India is presented as an “essential partner”.
Its population growth represents a “great opportunity” for Canada to seize, underlined in an interview recently granted to The Press the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly.
PHOTO ANDREEA ALEXANDRU, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Melanie Joly
“India is a democracy that will soon be the most populous country in the world. With greater population comes greater economic growth,” she stated in unveiling the strategy.
In economic matters, Ottawa also hopes to conclude a free trade agreement with New Delhi in the years to come, as part of this roadmap for the region.
Minister Joly nevertheless agreed that India’s human rights record was not entirely brilliant.
“On the question of India, we are going to raise our concerns in connection with the rights of individuals and minorities. I do it every time,” she said.
Prime Minister Modi criticized
PHOTO SAM PANTHAKY, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ARCHIVES
Narendra Modi
Since Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, human rights have regressed in India, according to several NGOs.
“Attacks and Discrimination […] against religious minorities are on the rise”, the organization Human Rights Watch still reproached about two weeks ago.
The Modi government also uses “draconian laws” to “prosecute and harass human rights activists, journalists, students”, the NGO pointed out.
India’s rotating G20 presidency officially kicked off on Thursday.
India will host more than 200 meetings in more than 50 cities and offer delegates “an insight into India’s rich cultural heritage and provide them with a unique Indian experience”, reads the G20 website.
The NDP press conference is scheduled for early afternoon.
Minister Joly’s office must provide a response to this request later this Thursday.