British Columbia’s Sikh community responds to new allegations of foreign Indian interference
A prominent leader in from British Columbia Sikh community says they feel vindicated after Explosive new allegations of foreign interference from the RCMP by Indian government agents in Canada.
RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme said Monday the force has evidence of violent criminal activity in Canada, including homicides and extortion, linked to Indian government agents.
The RCMP also alleged it had evidence that diplomats were collecting information on Canadians on behalf of the Indian government and said there was a significant threat to public safety.
Police took the unusual step a year after the federal government alleged a link between the Indian government and the assassination of British Columbia’s gurdwara president and Khalistan independence activist. Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Members of British Columbia’s Sikh community have long said they are targets of the Indian government and say Monday’s revelations are further proof.
“Individuals like me have also had a multiple duty to warn against my life, so I can say this from a personal space as well as from a community leader space, is that it shocks us that this could be allowed to occur. continue now,” Moninder Singh, spokesperson for the BC Gurdwaras Council, told Global News.
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“We want the Canadian government to take firmer measures towards India. So, even if these individuals are gone, how can we avoid this situation in the future? »
Four men linked to organized crime have been charged with Nijjar’s murder. Monday’s update from the RCMP 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.
B.C.’s Sikh leaders say they won’t face any pressure.
“Nijjar’s murder was a course of action for our community,” Singh said. “If you try to intimidate our community, if you try to silence us, we will do the opposite.”
BC NDP Leader David Eby said the BC government has been informed of the investigation and the province is doing everything it can to support police and keep people safe. the Sikh community.
“British Columbia will continue to ensure our police have all the resources they need to get to the bottom of this matter and hold those involved accountable,” he said.
“The strength of our province is that people come here from all over the world and can live safely and build a good life for themselves and their families. Anything that threatens that is a threat to all of us. We will stay together. We will not let any foreign government divide us.
British Columbia Conservative Leader John Rustad called the allegations “deeply troubling” and called for an investigation into foreign interference targeting the Sikh community and other Canadians.
“British Columbia’s Sikh community, like any other group, deserves to live in safety without fear of intimidation or harassment from foreign governments,” he said in a statement.
Singh said the Sikh community has long called for an investigation specifically focused on allegations of foreign interference by the Indian government and an end to intelligence sharing with India.
He also wants the government to pursue criminal charges, if possible.
“While this is a very welcome step, we really want to see (the government) continue the diplomatic immunity enjoyed by Mr Burma and these diplomats,” he said. “And is there any possibility of suing them in Canada?
The Indian government denies any suggestion that it was involved in crimes in Canada.
The South Asian country retaliated by expelling six Canadian diplomats on Monday and withdrawing its own Canadian envoy.
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