Kiraye ke tattu: Hardeep Puri on pro-Khalistani protests ahead of Modi’s Canada visit

Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday referred to pro-Khalistani protestors holding demonstrations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his Canada visit to attend the G7 summit as “kiraye ke tattu” (hired stooges), adding that they need not be taken seriously.

Speaking to reporters alongside Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta in the national capital, the minister was asked about the videos of pro-Khalistani protests in Canada ahead of Modi’s visit. To this, he responded, ”Leave that… there is another video that is going viral showing people who get funding from neighouring country (Pakistan) staged a sit-in against them (Pakistan) after they didn’t receive the funds… Dekhiye ye jo kiraye ke tattu jo hai na, don’t take them seriously.”

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A group of protesters holding Khalistani banners took to streets in Canada on Sunday in protest against Modi’s visit to attend the G7 summit being held in Kananaskis. While India is not part of the G7 group, it has been getting special invitations from host countries.’

Given the strained India-Canada ties over the last few years, particularly after the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s move to invite Modi sparked criticism and protests from pro-Khalistani outfits and leaders.

Carney, however, defended the move, saying that India, being the most populous country, could not have been left out while discussing some of the world’s biggest problems.

According to Canadian media reports, Carney’s comments came after liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal met him and told reporters that inviting Modi was “not a good idea”.

In another related development, there was security scare near the G7 Summit venue on Sunday after a civilian aircraft entered the G7 no-fly zone above Kananaskis, prompting Canada to deploy fighter jets.

According to a press release from the G7 Integrated Safety and Security Group, CF-18 Hornet fighter jets resorted to “final warning measures” to get the pilot’s attention, who later landed the aircraft safely. Canada has temporarily closed the airspace over Kananaskis and Calgary because of the G7 Summit.