Canadian PM to step down? Internal pressure mounts on Trudeau to quit as Liberal Leader amid growing party discontent

Justin Trudeau resignation news:  Internal pressure on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign as leader of the Liberal Party escalated on Wednesday during a closed-door caucus meeting on Parliament Hill, according to a report by CBC News.

Liberal MPs used the meeting, part of their routine weekly caucus gatherings, to directly express their frustrations with Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. This session was marked by growing discontent within the party, as dissenting members pressed the prime minister for answers regarding his leadership.

A faction of the party has given Trudeau until October 28 to decide his future, although no formal repercussions were outlined if he fails to meet this deadline. Sources were reported as saying by Radio-Canada that 24 MPs signed a document calling for Trudeau's resignation. The document, presented by British Columbia MP Patrick Weiler, proposed that the Liberal Party could undergo a revival similar to the US Democratic Party’s situation after President Joe Biden decided not to seek re-election.

Approximately 20 MPs, none of whom were Cabinet ministers, spoke during the three-hour session to urge Justin Trudeau to step aside before the next federal election. However, some MPs voiced their support for Trudeau, CBC News reported.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller acknowledged the concerns raised during the meeting and emphasised the importance of allowing such grievances to surface. "This isn't a code red situation. The PM can handle the truth," Miller said, according to CBC News.

This internal party friction comes amid broader geopolitical tensions between Canada and India. Relations between the two countries deteriorated after Trudeau accused India of involvement in the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, in June last year. India has dismissed the allegations as "absurd" and has criticised Canada for providing sanctuary to anti-India extremist elements.

The diplomatic rift deepened when Canada declared India's High Commissioner and other diplomats as "persons of interest" in the Nijjar case.