‘Pannun A Flop Show': How Diplomacy Trumped Khalistani Propaganda During PM Modi's Canada Visit

Last Updated:
The protests, planned to coincide with Modi's visit to the G7 summit, were unable to attract substantial crowds, undermining Pannun's narrative of widespread Khalistani support
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Canada has marked a new chapter in India-Canada relations, significantly strengthening diplomatic ties and overshadowing the efforts of controversial Khalistani leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun to disrupt the visit.
Top Indian government sources told CNN-News that the visit, which had been highly anticipated, proved to be a major success, with Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney focusing on expanding bilateral ties in areas such as trade, security, and clean energy. Carney's pragmatic approach during the visit reflected Canada's desire to mend relations with India, while sidelining divisive issues like Khalistani separatism.
The visit comes after a period of strained relations between India and Canada, primarily due to the actions of Pannun, who has long campaigned for a separate Khalistan and has been known for his inflammatory rhetoric against India. Despite his vocal threats and pre-summit efforts to incite protests, Pannun's calls for large-scale demonstrations against Modi's visit failed to gain traction on the ground.
'His efforts to disrupt the G7 Summit and Modi's visit were a total failure," said top Indian government sources. 'Pannun's campaigns for protests amounted to little more than a few dozen participants, with no significant impact on the ground. His threats were widely ignored, both by the public and by global diplomatic entities."
Despite Pannun's attempts to rally support among the diaspora, the reality on the ground was starkly different. The protests, planned to coincide with Modi's visit to the G7 summit in Canada, were unable to attract substantial crowds or significant media attention, effectively undermining Pannun's narrative of widespread Khalistani support.
PM Carney's leadership has played a crucial role in reorienting Canada's foreign policy towards India. Carney, who recently took office, made it clear that repairing diplomatic ties with India was top priority. His government emphasised the importance of trade, economic cooperation, and security collaboration, framing Modi's visit not as a means to address Khalistani grievances but as a critical step in engaging with one of the world's largest economies.
During the bilateral meeting, Modi and Carney discussed the Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA), which aims to boost trade relations and set the stage for future economic growth. The talks also focused on clean energy partnerships, marking a significant shift towards practical diplomacy. Issues such as the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar and the ongoing Khalistani agitation were largely avoided during the discussions, highlighting the Canadian government's decision to de-prioritise such contentious matters.
Pannun's International Isolation
Pannun's influence among international bodies and governments appears to be waning. He has been increasingly disowned by major global powers, including the G5 countries, who view his actions as a liability for international diplomatic relations. His promotion of anti-India rhetoric and his connections to Pakistan have drawn scrutiny, especially after his failed attempts to disrupt Modi's visit.
Canadian intelligence agencies, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), had closely monitored Pannun's activities in the lead-up to the visit. They quickly recognised that falling into his trap—especially as he continued to leverage his Khalistani campaign for personal gain—was not in Canada's best interests. His previous history of violent threats, including calls for violence against Air India and Indian diplomats, had already placed him under intense surveillance by global intelligence agencies.
'International agencies have realised that aligning with Pannun is a bad idea. His agenda serves only to create discord and doesn't contribute to meaningful discourse," said an official source.
Diplomatic Caution in the G7
While the G7 summit issued a joint statement on transnational repression, which some interpreted as a veiled reference to India's actions against diaspora-based Khalistani groups, there was no direct mention of India—a sign of diplomatic caution. This careful wording further reflects the desire to avoid escalating tensions over sensitive issues while maintaining strong economic and strategic relationships.
Ahead of PM Modi's visit, Canadian authorities bolstered security measures, particularly around known Khalistani factions such as Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). Their presence and activities were closely monitored to prevent any attempts at violence or disruption.
Despite the heightened security, the visit went smoothly, and Modi's diplomatic efforts resulted in positive media coverage and strengthened bilateral relations. Modi's focus on cooperation rather than confrontation helped maintain the momentum of India-Canada ties, despite the attempts to disrupt his visit.
About the Author
Manoj Gupta
Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18
Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated!
Location :
Ottawa, Canada
First Published:
June 21, 2025, 16:22 IST

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Business Standard

28 minutes ago

• Business Standard

After evacuation from Iran, Indians express relief; 827 brought back so far

The Indian government's Operation Sindhu has successfully evacuated 827 Indian nationals from conflict-hit Iran, with the latest flight landing in New Delhi on Saturday. The evacuees, including students and pilgrims, shared their experiences of the tense situation in Iran and praised the efforts of the Indian embassy and government. The evacuation flight from Mashhad, carried 310 Indian nationals, who were safely brought back to the country under Operation Sindhu. Sharing the images of the evacuation, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on X, "Another evacuation flight from Mashhad landed in New Delhi at 1630 hrs on 21 June with 310 Indian nationals from Iran. With this, a total of 827 Indians have been evacuated." Nadeem Asgar, an evacuee, told ANI, "I am thankful to my nation for keeping us safe there and bringing us back safely. As soon as the situation went south, we were evacuated by the embassy. I am very thankful to the Indian government." Farzana Abdi echoed similar sentiments, "We are coming back from Iran. There was a lot of fighting and missiles there. The Indian embassy helped us a lot and brought us here. We are very happy to be back in India. India is the best." Riyazul Hasan described the dire situation in Iran, "The situation is not good there. We saw from our hotel window that the missiles were coming, which were being intercepted mid-air. We are relieved to be back here. We came through the embassy. We thank PM Modi." Fatima expressed her gratitude to the Prime Minister, "I am very grateful to PM Modi. Now I feel at peace after coming back to my country. Being back in your homeland is a matter of great joy." Almas Rizvi praised the Indian embassy's support, "We were given accommodation in a good hotel and given lunch, dinner, everything, on time. It feels good to be back in our country. The Indian embassy helped us a lot. The Indian government took good care of us and didn't even let us feel we were living in a war-like situation." Daniya shared her relief, "I am delighted. We were terrified. The situation was very dire in Tehran. I thank the Indian embassy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the bottom of my heart because of which we could reach here safely." Earlier in the day, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said, a centrifuge manufacturing workshop in the central Iranian city has been struck, making it the third nuclear-related facility targeted in Israeli attacks since June 13, Al Jazeera reported. "We know this facility well. There was no nuclear material at this site and therefore the attack on it will have no radiological consequences," Grossi said in a statement posted by the IAEA. On Friday, Grossi said the nuclear watchdog does not have information showing Iran is actively trying to build nuclear weapons. The Israeli military has already said that it's got many targets that it still has to hit, and the campaign has clearly broadened beyond the military, beyond top scientific advisers, and beyond missile launchers. So there's nothing really stopping Israel from carrying on until it's achieved its stated objectives. Well, that is, to stop Iran enriching uranium to produce a nuclear weapon, as per Al Jazeera. The Israeli military has warned Israelis that they should be prepared for a long campaign. According to Al Jazeera, from Iran, overnight we had about 40 drones fired, according to the Israeli military, one of those getting through the air defences. In all, there have been about 450 missiles fired since the start of this fighting. According to the Israelis, 450 ballistic missiles and 400-plus drones.

Time of India

43 minutes ago

• Time of India

India assures Sri Lanka of evacuating its nationals from Iran

Live Events India on Saturday assured Sri Lanka that it will evacuate its nationals currently stranded in Iran amid the Islamic nation's conflict with Lanka extended gratitude to India adding that this "act of solidarity exemplifies the strong and enduring partnership between India and Sri Lanka.""Sri Lanka extends its sincere gratitude to the Government of India for the timely assistance to evacuate Sri Lankan nationals from Iran alongside Indian citizens," Foreign Ministry of Sri Lanka posted on X on the Indian mission in Iran had said that it would help in evacuating nationals of Nepal and Sri Lanka following requests from their respective governments."On request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka, the Indian Embassy's evacuation efforts in Iran will also cover Citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka," the Indian Embassy Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry advised its citizens in Iran to contact the Indian Embassy in Tehran if they wish to leave the country."The government of Sri Lanka has made arrangements with the government of India to assist Sri Lankans who wish to leave Iran by accommodating them in the flights," the ministry said in an official to the Foreign Ministry, there are less than 100 Sri Lankan nationals in Iran , while some 20,000 are employed in Israel.

Hindustan Times

an hour ago

• Hindustan Times

India assures Sri Lanka of evacuating its nationals from Iran amid Middle East tensions

Jun 22, 2025 12:35 AM IST India on Saturday assured Sri Lanka that it will evacuate its nationals currently stranded in Iran amid the Islamic nation's conflict with Israel. The Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry advised its citizens in Iran to contact the Indian Embassy in Tehran if they wish to leave the country. (file)(AFP) Sri Lanka extended gratitude to India adding that this "act of solidarity exemplifies the strong and enduring partnership between India and Sri Lanka." "Sri Lanka extends its sincere gratitude to the Government of India for the timely assistance to evacuate Sri Lankan nationals from Iran alongside Indian citizens," Foreign Ministry of Sri Lanka posted on X on Saturday. Earlier, the Indian mission in Iran had said that it would help in evacuating nationals of Nepal and Sri Lanka following requests from their respective governments. 'On request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka, the Indian Embassy's evacuation efforts in Iran will also cover Citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka,' the Indian Embassy said. The Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry advised its citizens in Iran to contact the Indian Embassy in Tehran if they wish to leave the country. 'The government of Sri Lanka has made arrangements with the government of India to assist Sri Lankans who wish to leave Iran by accommodating them in the flights,' the ministry said in an official release. According to the Foreign Ministry, there are less than 100 Sri Lankan nationals in Iran, while some 20,000 are employed in Israel.