A prominent leader in British Columbia’s Sikh community says the community feels vindicated following explosive new RCMP allegations of foreign interference by agents of the Indian government in Canada.
RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme said Monday that the force had evidence of violent criminal activity in Canada, including homicides and extortion, being connected to Indian government agents.
The RCMP also alleged it has evidence of diplomats collecting information on Canadians for the Indian government, and said there was a significant threat to public safety.
Police took the unusual step one year after the federal government alleged a connection between the government of India and the assassination of B.C. gurdwara president and Khalistan independence activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Members of the Sikh community in B.C. have long alleged they’re being targeted by the Indian government, and say Monday’s revelations serve as further proof.
“Individuals like myself have had multiple duty to warn (notices) against my life as well, so I can say this from a personal space as well as from a community leader space, is that it is shocking to us that this could be allowed to continue now,” B.C. Gurdwaras Council spokesperson Moninder Singh told Global News.
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“Harder steps by the Canadian government against India is what we want to see. So while these individuals have left, how do we avoid this situation in the future?”
Four men linked to organized crime have been charged in Nijjar’s killing. Monday’s update from the RCMP has shed further light on the case, with the investigation linking senior Indian diplomats in Canada, including High Commissioner Sanjay Verma, to criminal gangs operating in Canada.
Sikh leaders in B.C. say they won’t be pressured.
“The Nijjar murder was a line for our community,” Singh said. “If you try to intimidate our community, if you try and silence us, we will do the opposite.”
BC NDP Leader David Eby said the B.C. government has been briefed on the investigation, and the province is doing everything it can to support police and keep the Sikh community safe.
“British Columbia will continue to ensure that our police have all the resources they need to get to the bottom of this and hold those involved accountable,” he said.
“Our province’s strength is the fact that people come here from around the world, and they can be safe, build a good life for themselves and their families. Anything that threatens that is a threat to all of us. We will stick together. We will not let any foreign government divide us.”
BC Conservative Leader John Rustad called the allegations “deeply troubling,” and called for an investigation into foreign interference targeting the Sikh community and other Canadians.
“The Sikh Community in British Columbia, like every other group, deserves to live in safety without fear of intimidation or harassment by foreign governments,” he said in a statement.
Singh said the Sikh community has been long pressing for an inquiry specifically focused on allegations of foreign interference by the Indian government and an end to intelligence sharing with India.
He also wants to see the government pursue criminal charges, if possible.
“While this is a very welcome step, we really do want to see (the government) pursuing that diplomatic immunity that Mr. Burma has, these diplomats have,” he said. “And is there any possibility of prosecuting them within Canada?”
The government of India denies any suggestion that it has been involved in crimes in Canada.
The South Asian country retaliated by expelling six Canadian diplomats on Monday and withdrawing its own envoy from Canada.
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