New Delhi has reportedly added a Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA) official, Sandeep Singh Sidhu, to its list of fugitive terrorists sought for deportation, amid escalating tensions between India and Canada following the assassination of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Sandeep Singh Sidhu, a CBSA employee and member of the banned International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), is accused of promoting terrorism in Punjab, reported the Hindustan Times. He allegedly has connections to Lakhbir Singh Rode, a Pakistan-based Khalistani terrorist, and is reportedly linked to the 2020 assassination of Balwinder Singh Sandhu.
Sandhu, a recipient of the Shaurya Chakra award, became a symbol of resistance against Khalistani militants during Punjab's insurgency and opposed Khalistan referendums organised by Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) in the US and Canada, states the report.
Sidhu, as per Times Now, has been promoted to superintendent at the CBSA. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) claims that Canada-based Khalistani operatives, including Sunny Toronto and Lakhbir Singh Rode, orchestrated Sandhu's murder. It remains unclear if "Sunny Toronto" is an alias for Sidhu.
The report follows remarks by Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, who noted that there are currently 26 pending extradition requests from India to Canada, many of which date back over a decade.
Jaiswal, at a press briefing a few days back, had stated, "There are 26 extradition requests pending with the Canadian side, these are over the last decade or more, along with that, there are several provisional arrest requests, which are also pending with the Canadian side, of certain criminals".
Jaiswal highlighted that India has shared security-related information regarding gang members, including those from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, and requested their arrest, yet no action has been taken by Canadian authorities.
"We had shared security related information with the Canadian government regarding gang members, including those of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, and requested them to arrest them (criminals)... So far, no action has been taken by the Canadian side on our request," he said.
He expressed concern over the recent Canadian accusations, stating, "It is strange that those we wanted deported or acted against are now being blamed by the RCMP for crimes committed in Canada".
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, on Monday, publicly alleged that Indian diplomats were targeting Khalistani separatists in Canada by sharing intelligence with their government. In response, India dismissed these accusations as absurd and announced the expulsion of Canada's acting high commissioner and five other diplomats.
The relationship between India and Canada has significantly worsened since Trudeau's allegations in September 2023, suggesting the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia. India has firmly dismissed these accusations as baseless and politically driven.
Additionally, Indian officials have criticised Trudeau's government for its perceived leniency toward supporters of the Khalistan movement living in Canada, further heightening diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
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