‘Canada has become a base,’ intelligence agency confirms Khalistani extremists using Canadian soil to target India

India has strongly denied the allegations, terming them "absurd" and "motivated," and has accused Canada of giving space to extremist and anti-India elements.

For the first time, Canada’s premier intelligence agency has publicly acknowledged that Khalistani extremists are using Canadian territory to promote separatist violence in India. In its annual report released on Wednesday, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) stated that a small but active group of individuals continue to operate from Canada as a base for “promotion, fundraising or planning of violence primarily in India.”

The admission marks a significant shift in Canada's stance on the controversial issue, which India has raised repeatedly in bilateral talks, accusing Ottawa of turning a blind eye to Khalistani elements operating freely on Canadian soil.

“Real and perceived Khalistani extremism emerging from Canada continues to drive Indian foreign interference activities in Canada,” the CSIS report stated, in a candid assessment of the politically sensitive issue.

The revelation comes just a day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met on the sidelines of the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Alberta. In a sign of thawing relations, the two leaders agreed to restore High Commissioners to each other’s capitals and take “calibrated steps” toward normalising diplomatic engagement.

The CSIS report explicitly confirmed that since the mid-1980s, Canada has witnessed the presence of Canada-based Khalistani extremists (CBKEs) seeking to create a separate Sikh homeland, Khalistan, within India’s Punjab state.

“A small group of individuals are considered Khalistani extremists because they continue to use Canada as a base for the promotion, fundraising or planning of violence primarily in India,” the report noted. It added that this has triggered sustained foreign interference efforts by India, as New Delhi attempts to counter such threats.

The report further called for greater vigilance against both external interference and internal financing networks that support extremist agendas.

The report’s release also rekindles the diplomatic storm triggered last year when former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that there were “credible allegations” of India’s involvement in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a designated Khalistani terrorist by India, outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023. India denied the accusations, calling them “absurd and motivated,” and in retaliation, recalled six diplomats after they were reportedly declared “persons of interest” in Canada’s investigation.

Wednesday’s CSIS report noted that the Nijjar case “signals a significant escalation in India's repression efforts against the Khalistan movement and a clear intent to target individuals in North America.”

Carney’s decision to invite Prime Minister Modi to the G7 Summit has also stirred political pushback, with several Sikh advocacy groups and some Canadian lawmakers expressing discomfort over Modi’s presence. Carney, however, defended the move, stressing India's global relevance.

“India is the world’s most populous country and the fourth-largest economy. It is a vital partner in tackling global challenges,” he said.