At G7 Summit, PM Modi's first meeting with Trudeau amid Khalistan row

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the G7 Summit in Italy and held a brief conversation with his counterpart against the backdrop of severe strain in India-Canada ties over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

This was their first face-to-face meeting after Trudeau claimed that Indian government agents were involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada last year. Canada has arrested four Indian nationals in connection with the case.

Both PM Modi and Trudeau were seen warmly greeting each other.

"Met Canadian PM @JustinTrudeau at the G7 Summit," PM Modi tweeted on his interaction with Trudeau.

The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Trudeau's allegations in September last year of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar in British Columbia. India has dismissed Trudeau's charges as "absurd" and "motivated."

India has been maintaining that the main issue between the two countries is that of Canada giving space to pro-Khalistan elements operating from Canadian soil with impunity. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra on Wednesday said India's main issue with Canada continues to be the political space that Ottawa provides to anti-India elements which advocate extremism and violence.

India has repeatedly conveyed its "deep concerns" to Canada and New Delhi expects Ottawa to take strong action against those elements, he said.

Nijjar, who was declared a terrorist by India, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in British Columbia in Surrey on June 18 last year. The murder is being probed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).