Murder plot furor fades as Narendra Modi takes center stage at G-7

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Narendra Modi has seized a window to end his diplomatic purgatory with the United States and Canada.

India's prime minister arrived at the Group of Seven meetings bruised by disappointing election results and facing outcry over two assassination plots allegedly backed by his government.

Yet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, host of the summit, gave Modi pride of place during Friday's events and the Indian leader took full advantage, rushing to meet two leaders whose governments have accused his of plots of assassinations.

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Modi was placed center stage for the family photo, a perch that allowed him to rush over to US President Joe Biden for a brief conversation. He also shared a photo of a similar greeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Canada has accused India of killing a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil, while the United States has alleged a failed attempt on another dissident at home. India has generally downplayed these allegations and, in the US case, blamed the plot on rogue elements in the government.

But Modi's invitation to the summit is a sign of India's role in the emerging economic race between the G7 and its rivals, particularly China. Biden and Trudeau's meeting with him, however briefly, casts doubt on how long the outcry over the assassination allegations will persist.

The United States has said its position on the alleged plots has not changed.

We have made our views known on this issue, and it will be a topic of continued dialogue between the United States and India, including at very high levels, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Wednesday. one of Biden's top aides on foreign affairs.

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A U.S. official said Friday that Biden and Modi spoke only briefly.

On Saturday, a grim-faced Trudeau was repeatedly asked about his interaction with Modi, but would not engage.

I am not going to go into detail about this issue, he told journalists in southern Italy. There are important and sensitive issues that we need to follow up on, but this was a commitment to work together in the times ahead to address some very important issues.

Meanwhile, the Indian Prime Minister seemed to really enjoy himself at the summit. Meloni posted a clip of her and Modi laughing happily behind her.

Canadian police recently arrested four Indian nationals following the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead last year in a Vancouver suburb. The case is now before the courts and could take years to reach a conclusion.

The Modis government reacted with fury when Trudeau first accused India last September of orchestrating the assassination, rejecting the claim as baseless and expelling the Canadian diplomats. Trudeau has long asked Modi to cooperate with the investigation, hoping to move forward constructively.

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Indian officials have never returned to their initial denials, but there are signs that behind the scenes, Canada and India are now cooperating more fully to share information about the matter.

This may have helped pave the way for a conversation between the two leaders.

The last time Trudeau met Modi in person was at the G20 in New Delhi last year, and it was a very tense meeting because Canadian officials had spent weeks in private presenting the Indian government with evidence of 'successful work on Canadian soil. At the time, Trudeau was largely sidelined by Modi during that summit, then his departure was delayed after his plane broke down.

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