Representatives of the B.C. Sikh temple whose head was shot and killed last year and the Sikh separatist group he was associated with say their community will not be safe unless the Indian embassies in Vancouver and Toronto are closed.
The tip comes after the Canadian government expelled six Indian diplomats, including the high commissioner, and the RCMP said Monday they were involved in crimes including murder and extortion targeting the so-called Khalistan independence movement. He announced that he had obtained suspicious evidence.
The Canadian government has previously said that the Indian government has received reliable information linking it to the murder of activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, leader of the Guru Nanak Sikh gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, last June. Local residents are holding a press conference there.
Gurdwara spokesperson Gurkirat Singh said unless the Indian consulate is closed, “the safety and security of Sikhs will remain in question.”
India denies police claims that diplomats forcibly collected information about South Asian Canadians and passed that information on to criminals who carried out acts of violence.
Jatinder Singh Grewal, a member of the pro-Khalistan advocacy group Sikhs for Justice, said Canada expelled Indian diplomats last September and that since then threats against Canadian Sikhs have increased. He said the RCMP has indicated that there are.
“We strongly believe that the threat has not subsided. India takes the right to self-determination of the Punjab state very seriously and we want to quell it,” he said at a press conference on Tuesday, which he attended via video link. “The threat will only increase as a result of this.” .
RCMP said Monday they are investigating claims that Indian foreign agents were involved in acts of violence, including murder, on Canadian soil. Bina Najibullah, deputy director of research and strategy at the Canada Asia-Pacific Foundation, said the diplomatic firestorm sparked by the allegations could continue for some time.
Grewal mentioned the expulsion last year of Pavan Kumar Rai, the diplomat who heads the Ottawa-based Indian intelligence agency.
On Monday, the government announced the expulsion of six more diplomats, including Sanjay Kumar Verma, over criminal charges. The RCMP announced Monday that Canada has expelled six Indian diplomats who were wanted for questioning over acts of violence in Canada.
India responded by expelling six Canadian diplomats.
In September 2023, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canadian intelligence agencies were investigating potential links between the Indian government and Mr. Nijjar’s murder. Four Indian nationals were subsequently charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy.
Mr. Grewal said the people who allegedly pulled the trigger were “just props” and the real question is who collects information about Sikhs in Canada and shares that information with criminals to protect members of the Sikh community. He said he was accused of threatening or causing harm.
“The RCMP has made it very clear that Indian diplomats in Canada are actively monitoring pro-Khalistani Sikh movements, patterns and activities and sharing that information with individuals in India.” he said.
RCMP Chief Michael Duhem said Monday that Indian diplomats and consular officials based in Canada are suspected of using their official positions to engage in covert activities, including gathering intelligence for the Indian government, either directly or through agents. He said the investigation revealed something.
RCMP told the Canadian Press that they are investigating three murders across the country in the past two years with possible links to India, but Mounties say Nijjar’s killing is among them. He did not say whether it was included.
Mr. Grewal said closing the Indian consulates in Toronto and Vancouver would remove the shield afforded by their diplomatic status.
“This puts Canadian security and Canadian sovereignty at risk, and we cannot allow this to continue,” he said.
