Carney's victory set to rebuild bridges

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was quick to congratulate Liberal Party leader Mark Carney on his victory in Canada's elections on Tuesday and offer to strengthen the bilateral partnership, setting the stage for a reset of the relationship that hit an all-time low under the latter's predecessor Justin Trudeau.

- Rezaul H Laskar and Anirudh Bhattacharyya

India-Canada relations suffered after Trudeau went public in September 2023 with allegations that Indian government agents were linked to the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a charge dismissed by New Delhi as "absurd".

Under the Trudeau government, Ottawa and New Delhi repeatedly clashed on the Khalistan issue, downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled each other's diplomats. India also accused Canada of providing safe haven to extremist elements.

As provisional results projected a victory for the Liberal Party, albeit marginally short of a majority, Modi reached out to Carney on social media. "Congratulations @MarkJCarney on your election as the Prime Minister of Canada and to the Liberal Party on their victory," he said.

"India and Canada are bound by shared democratic values, a steadfast commitment to the rule of law, and vibrant people-to-people ties. I look forward to working with you to strengthen our partnership and unlock greater opportunities for our people," Modi said in a post markedly different from most exchanges between the leadership of the two sides in recent years.

Boost to ties