Toronto: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the trucker protest taking place in Ottawa must come to an end, citing disruptions it has caused to the economy and the local residents.
"Individuals are trying to blockade our economy, our democracy and our fellow citizens' daily lives, it has to stop," Trudeau said in a speech to Canada's parliament on Monday evening. "People of Ottawa don't deserve to be harassed in their own neighborhoods. They don't deserve to be confronted with the inherent violence of a swastika flying on a street corner or Confederate flag."
Trudeau's statement did not sit well with a certain section of Indian social media users as they slammed him for his stance on the similar farmer protests in India and accused him of having double standards.
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had in December 2020 expressed concerns about the protest by farmers in India against the now scrapped three farm laws. He had said that Canada will always be there to defend the rights of peaceful protest.
While speaking on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak that year, Trudeau had said, "The news coming out of India about the protest by farmers. The situation is concerning and we're all very worried about family and friends. I know that's a reality for many of you. Let me remind you, Canada will always be there to defend the rights of peaceful protest."
India had strongly reacted to comments by Canadian Prime Minister and other leaders there over the farmers' protest, calling the remarks as "ill-informed" and "unwarranted" as the matter pertained to the internal affairs of a democratic country.
"We have seen some ill-informed comments by Canadian leaders relating to farmers in India. Such comments are unwarranted, especially when pertaining to the internal affairs of a democratic country," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava had said.
The wave of protest across Canada began in mid-January, with thousands of truckers and other demonstrators converging upon Ottawa to express strong opposition to vaccine mandates for truckers crossing the US-Canada border. The protest has since evolved into an anti-government demonstration, with various groups uniting in opposition of Trudeau.
