Canada set conditions for Modi’s G7 invite, including law enforcement dialogue: Report
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation to attend the upcoming G7 outreach meeting in Canada was reportedly contingent upon an agreement with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to engage in law enforcement dialogue, according to Canadian media reports.
A federal Liberal source told The Toronto Star that the invitation extended to Modi came with certain “conditions,” and that the Indian prime minister had initially sought time to respond. Though the specifics of the conversation remain unclear, the law enforcement dialogue is said to have been among the key terms.
Carney, who has faced domestic criticism for inviting Modi amid unresolved allegations related to the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, said on Friday that the decision followed “important” bilateral progress. “We have now agreed, importantly, to continued law enforcement dialogue, so there’s been some progress on that which recognises issues of accountability,” he said.
Modi, however, did not mention this aspect in his public statement following a telephonic conversation with Carney.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand told The Hindustan Times from Paris that the invitation should not be seen as a softening of Canada’s stance on the Nijjar case. She emphasised that the independent investigation remains ongoing and that the rule of law is paramount.
Ties between the two countries had sharply deteriorated after Canadian authorities accused Indian agents of involvement in Nijjar’s killing. While the renewed law enforcement dialogue signals some level of cooperation, Canadian officials continue to insist that justice and accountability are non-negotiable.
The G7 summit is scheduled to be held from June 15 to 17 in Kananaskis, Alberta, with a focus on strengthening peace and security, countering foreign interference and transnational crime, and improving responses to wildfires.
Other invitees to the outreach meeting include South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
