Canada labels Sikh extremism a threat while accusing India of meddling
A Canadian spy report validates New Delhi’s concerns about Sikh extremism, even as it accuses India of foreign interference and espionage
Delhi has long complained that a small number of Sikh separatist extremists have used Canadian soil to organise, raise funds and support violence connected to the push for “Khalistan”, a proposed independent Sikh state in India’s Punjab.
The report by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), put before parliament on May 1, acknowledged this fact while drawing a distinction between lawful political advocacy for Khalistan and violent extremism.
Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesman for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, told reporters at a weekly media briefing on Thursday last week that the CSIS report confirmed that Canada-based Khalistani extremist groups posed a national security threat not only to India but to Canada itself.
03:15
Canadian PM says authorities investigating ‘credible’ links to India on Sikh leader’s murder