OTTAWA: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation on Monday, saying he will leave office as soon as the ruling Liberal party chooses a new leader.
“I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister,” Trudeau, who has been in power since 2015, told reporters in Ottawa following a protracted political crisis that saw top Liberal allies urge him to quit.
Trudeau, the latest incumbent to be driven out amid rising voter dissatisfaction worldwide, said it had become clear to him that he cannot “be the leader during the next elections due to internal battles.” He planned to stay on as prime minister until a new leader of the Liberal Party is chosen.
Several factors have been linked to Justin Trudeau’s decision, which has been speculated for weeks. Canada is set to go to the polls this year, and the Liberals are expected to face a complete wipeout against Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party.
Trudeau has also been at odds with the United States, with President-elect Donald Trump at one point suggesting that Canada should become the US’s 51st state and Trudeau its governor. Another ally-turned-foe is India. Relations between New Delhi and Ottawa have deteriorated since Trudeau accused the former of being involved in the murder of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an accusation deemed baseless by Indian authorities.
This is not the first time Prime Minister Trudeau has shown support for the Khalistani movement. During Diwali celebrations at Ottawa’s Parliament Hill, the Liberal leader acknowledged the presence of a Khalistan support base within Canada.
“There are many supporters of ‘Khalistan’ in Canada, but they do not represent the Sikh community as a whole. There are supporters of the Modi government in Canada, but they do not represent all Hindu Canadians as a whole,” he said.
Critics argue that Trudeau’s approach is influenced by his ‘vote bank’ considerations, particularly the significant Sikh community in Canada, which comprises more than 2% of the national population. The country also hosts the largest Sikh population outside India—approximately 800,000 in 2022, as per Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. This community forms a substantial voting bloc, especially in regions like Greater Toronto and Vancouver.
Even after running a pro-Khalistani government for over four years, Trudeau is expected to lose to Pierre Poilievre in the 2025 polls. The Liberal Party has a history of maintaining close ties with sections of Canada’s Sikh diaspora. Some members of the current cabinet, including pro-Khalistani leader Jagmeet Singh, are Sikhs.
However, despite Trudeau’s perceived support, Khalistani leaders called for a no-confidence vote. They criticized the Prime Minister for failing to advocate more strongly for their cause on international platforms.
