India’s government on Thursday denied it was working with mobsters to target Sikh separatists in Canada as alleged publicly this week by Canadian officials in an escalating diplomatic dispute.
India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesperson┬аRandhir Jaiswal denied┬аthat┬аIndia┬аwas┬аin┬аcahoots with┬аIndia-based┬аmobsters┬аin┬аCanada┬аand even suggested┬аthat┬аCanadian┬аauthorities had been resisting India’s attempts┬аto┬аextradite those people┬аto┬аIndia.
“It┬аis strange┬аthat┬аpeople who we asked┬аto┬аbe deported┬аare being blamed by the Canadians for committing crimes┬аin┬аCanada,” Jaiswal said.
Canadian┬аPrime Minister Justin Trudeau and police officials┬аwent public this week┬аwith allegations┬аthat┬аIndian diplomats were targeting┬аSikh┬аseparatists┬аin┬аCanada┬аby sharing information about them with their government back home. They said top Indian officials were then passing┬аthat┬аinformation along┬аto┬аIndian organized crime groups who were targeting the activists, who are┬аCanadian┬аcitizens, with drive-by shootings, extortions and even murder.
Canada has expelled six high-level Indian diplomats after the RCMP said it had evidence that Indian diplomats in Canada were involved in a campaign to intimidate, coerce and sometimes even kill on Canadian soil. Andrew Chang breaks down what we know about Canada’s allegations of Indian government ties to organized crime and this latest diplomatic escalation between the two countries.
The two sides ordered the expulsion of top diplomats this week┬аin┬аthe deepening crisis over the accusations, including Canada’s┬аallegation┬аthat┬аthe diplomats were linked┬аto┬аthe June 2023 killing of Canadian Sikh┬аactivist┬аHardeep Singh Nijjar.
The Nijjar killing has soured ties for more than a year, and despite Canada’s assertion┬аthat┬аit┬аhas forwarded evidence of its allegations┬аto┬аIndian authorities, the Indian government continues┬аto┬аdeny┬аit┬аhas seen any.
Jaiswal said again on Thursday┬аthat┬аCanada┬аhas provided no evidence of its allegations surrounding attacks on┬аSikh┬аactivists, contradicting Trudeau’s statements this week┬аthat┬аhis country’s investigators have privately shared information with Indian counterparts and found them┬аto┬аbe unco-operative.
At the same time, Jaiswal accused┬аCanada┬аof failing┬аto┬аtake action against Sikhs living┬аin┬аCanada┬аwho face terrorism charges┬аin┬аIndia┬аand who are accused of being part of a┬аSikh┬аsecessionist campaign┬аin┬аIndia’s northern Punjab state.
Jaiswal said India’s 26 extradition requests have been pending┬аin┬аCanada┬аfor a decade or more. He also said┬аthat┬аseveral criminals had provisional arrest requests pending with┬аCanadian┬аauthorities.
“Some of them are charged with terror and terror-related crimes (in┬аIndia). So far, no action has been taken by the┬аCanadian┬аside on our requests. This is very serious,” Jaiswal said.
Expelling Indian diplomats ‘won’t decimate’ India’s spy network, says Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, subject of an alleged assassination attempt foiled by the FBI.
India┬аhas repeatedly criticized the┬аCanadian┬аgovernment for being soft on supporters of what is known as the Khalistan movement, which is banned┬аin┬аIndia┬аbut has support among the┬аSikh┬аdiaspora, particularly┬аin┬аCanada.
The RCMP said on Monday┬аit┬аhad┬аidentified India’s top diplomat┬аin┬аthe country┬аand five other diplomats as persons of interest┬аin┬аthe Nijjar killing. The RCMP also said they uncovered evidence of an intensifying campaign against Canadians by agents of the Indian government.
Nijjar, 45, was fatally shot last year┬аin┬аhis pickup truck after he left the┬аSikh┬аtemple he led┬аin┬аSurrey, British Columbia. An Indian-born citizen of┬аCanada, he owned a plumbing business and was a leader┬аin┬аwhat remains of a once-strong movement┬аto┬аcreate an independent┬аSikh┬аhomeland.
Four Indian nationals living┬аin┬аCanada┬аwere charged with Nijjar’s murder and are awaiting trial.
