Amid escalating diplomatic tensions between Ottawa and India over the murder of Khalistani separatist,Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) alleged that agents of the Indian government are using “organised crime elements” to target 'pro-Khalistani' individuals.
During a press conference the RCMP claimed their investigation into Nijjar's killing revealed links between agents of the Indian government and "homicides and violent acts" in Canada.
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"It (India) is targeting the South Asian community, but they are specifically targeting pro-Khalistani elements in Canada. 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 - (Lawrence) Bishnoi Group. We believe that the group is connected to agents of the Government of India,” said RCMP Assistant Commissioner Brigitte Gauvin.
Meanwhile, India termed these charges “absurd” and part of the Justin Trudeau government’s vote bank politics.
"The Government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Government that is centered around vote bank politics," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The Ministry of External Affairs strongly rejected the "diplomatic communication" it received from Canada last week.
Following the expulsion of Canadian diplomats, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday accused India of "coercive behaviour and threatening and violent acts", as the two countries announced tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats following the killing of Nijjar. Trudeau said New Delhi's "fundamental error" was "unacceptable".
India on Monday asked Canadian diplomats in New Delhi to leave the country by October 19 after Ottawa said it was investigating its Indian ambassador and other diplomats as "persons of interest", after the killing of Nijjar in 2023.
In a tit-for-tat move, Canada too asked six Indian diplomats to leave the country after its police collected evidence they were part of an Indian government "campaign of violence".
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