International
oi-Amit Vasudev
Canadian
Prime
Minister
Justin
Trudeau
shared
clips
of
his
Diwali
celebrations
on
Sunday
amidst
the
ongoing
diplomatic
strain
between
India
and
Canada.
“Happy
Diwali!
So
many
special
moments
shared
celebrating
with
the
community
this
week,” Trudeau
wrote
in
a
post
on
X.
In
a
video
posted
online,
Trudeau
is
seen
having
sacred
threads
tied
around
his
wrist,
gifted
from
three
Hindu
temples
in
Canada.
Photo
Credit:
https://x.com/JustinTrudeau
Trudeau
Shares
Diwali
Video
“I
got
these
bracelets
when
I
was
in
three
different
Hindu
temples
over
the
past
few
months.
They
are
good
luck,”
he
noted,
adding
that
he
believed
the
threads
would
offer
him
“protection.”
“I’m
not
taking
them
off
till
they
fall
off,”
the
Prime
Minister
remarked.
He
was
also
offered
a
plate
of
jalebis,
joking
that
he
would
“save
[them]
for
the
team.”
Earlier,
on
October
31,
Trudeau
had
extended
Diwali
greetings
to
Canadians,
saying
in
a
statement,
“Today,
we
join
millions
of
people
in
Canada
and
around
the
world
to
celebrate
Diwali.”
He
acknowledged
the
contributions
of
the
Indo-Canadian
community,
adding,
“Diwali
in
Canada
would
not
be
possible
without
our
incredible
Indo-Canadian
community.
Indo-Canadians
represent
the
best
of
Canada
–
as
artists
and
entrepreneurs,
as
doctors
and
teachers,
as
leaders
in
business,
community,
and
culture.
On
Diwali,
we
celebrate
them
and
the
light
they
carry
across
Canada’s
communities.”
Trudeau
also
highlighted
Diwali’s
significance
for
Hindu
Canadians,
noting
that
they
make
up
one
of
Canada’s
largest
and
most
diverse
diasporas.
Despite
the
festive
atmosphere,
diplomatic
tensions
between
India
and
Canada
remain
heightened.
Since
September
2023,
relations
have
worsened
after
Prime
Minister
Trudeau
publicly
accused
India
of
involvement
in
the
killing
of
Khalistani
terrorist
Hardeep
Singh
Nijjar,
a
claim
India
has
firmly
denied.
Indian
authorities
have
insisted
there
is
“no
shred
of
evidence”
connecting
the
Indian
government
to
the
incident.
Due
to
the
escalating
tensions,
India
withdrew
six
diplomats
from
Canada,
citing
safety
concerns,
which
prompted
Canada
to
respond
similarly.
