The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has admitted to radical elements sheltering in Canada as it levelled fresh allegations against New Delhi, claiming that the Lawrence Bishnoi group is targeting ‘pro-Khalistani elements’ at the behest of the Indian government.
During a press conference on Monday night, the Canadian Police were asked if members of the Sikh community, in particular, were being targeted in Canada by the Indian agents.
Responding to this, Assistant Commissioner of RCMP, Brigitte Gauvin, said: “It (India) is targeting [the] South Asian community but they are specifically targeting pro-Khalistani elements in Canada.”
India has long conveyed its concerns to Canada over the continued support the pro-Khalistan campaign gets from the Trudeau government. India has repeatedly demanded Canada to take stringent and verifiable action against those advocating violence and extremism.
Indian officials have pointed to the nexus between Khalistani extremists, organised crime gangs, drug syndicates, and human trafficking networks, calling upon Canada to treat it as a matter of concern.
Canada repeats its charge
During the media briefing the Canadian police went to accuse New Delhi of direct involvement in “serious criminal activity” on its soil. The reiteration of the allegation came without offering any proof. The Canadian police claimed that Indian agents in the country were working with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to target pro-Khalistan elements.
“What we have seen is, from an RCMP perspective, they use organised crime elements. It has been publically attributed and claimed by one organised crime group in particular, [the Lawrence] Bishnoi group… We believe that the group is connected to agents of the Government of India,” Gauvin claimed.
The RCMP’s statement came after India expelled six Canadian diplomats and withdrew its ambassador from Ottawa. Also, the remarks by the Canadian police came when India was probing Lawrence Bishnoi gang’s involvement in the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique.
The RCMP also claimed that its investigation into the 2023 killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar and other related cases has revealed links tying agents of the Indian government to “homicides and violent acts” in Canada.
“Evidence also shows that a wide variety of entities in Canada and abroad have been used by agents of the Government of India to collect information. Some of these individuals and businesses were coerced and threatened into working for the Government of India. The information collected for the Government of India is then used to target members of the South Asian community,” a statement released by RCMP on Monday read.
India calls Canada’s allegations ‘absurd’
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), earlier on Monday, said that the Indian government strongly rejected these “preposterous” imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau-led Canadian government that is centred around vote bank politics.
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Embattled Trudeau fuels India-Canada tension further over Nijjar killing as countries expel diplomats
On Monday (October 14), India expelled six Canadian diplomats after its Ottawa High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and other diplomats were labelled as “persons of interest” in Canada’s probe into the killing of Nijjar.
In a tit-for-tat move, Canada later asked six Indian diplomats to leave the country.
India-Canada diplomatic ties turned sour last year after Trudeau claimed there are “credible allegations” linking Indian agents to the assassination Nijjar in Canadian soil.
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With inputs from agencies.
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