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Diplomatic Tensions Escalate As Canada Accuses India Of Targeted Killings

by InlandTown Editor
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Lawrence Bishnoi (centre) has been in prison since 2014 but has been implicated in several high-profile killings. Photograph: Hindustan Times/Getty Images

A significant diplomatic dispute has erupted between Canada and India following allegations by Canadian police that the Indian government collaborated with a criminal network, led by notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, to carry out targeted killings of dissidents in Canada.

On Monday, Canadian police accused Indian diplomats of engaging in “criminal” activities, including extortion, intimidation, and involvement in the assassination of Canadian citizens. The claims centre around the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh activist who was shot outside a gurdwara in Vancouver last June. Evidence reportedly implicates Indiaā€™s top diplomat, Sanjay Verma, in Nijjar’s killing.

Canadian Foreign Minister MĆ©lanie Joly also linked five other expelled Indian officials to the assassination, asserting that authorities had gathered “ample, clear and concrete evidence” identifying six individuals as persons of interest in the case.

The U.S. government has echoed Canadaā€™s concerns, with State Department spokesman Matthew Miller emphasizing the seriousness of the allegations and urging the Indian government to cooperate with the ongoing investigation. “They have chosen an alternate path,” Miller stated, indicating India’s lack of cooperation.

In response, India dismissed the accusations as “ludicrous,” asserting they were part of a political agenda orchestrated by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. As tensions escalated, both countries expelled each other’s top diplomats.

Among the allegations made by Canadian police is that Indian government agents collaborated with Bishnoi’s criminal syndicate to target individuals within the South Asian community, particularly pro-Khalistani elements. Bishnoi, who has been incarcerated since 2014, is accused of overseeing one of India’s largest criminal operations and has been linked to various high-profile killings.

Brigitte Gauvin, a Canadian police assistant commissioner, stated, “What we have seen is the use of organised crime elements. Itā€™s been publicly attributed to one organised crime gang in particular. We believe the Bishnoi group is connected to the agents of the government of India.”

Bishnoi’s gang has reportedly established a growing presence in Canada, where a significant Indian Sikh diaspora resides. The group is suspected of being behind the recent killing of Sukhdool Singh Gill in Winnipeg, an incident believed to have been carried out on the orders of Indian agents.

The allegations have fueled claims that the Indian government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has orchestrated a campaign of transnational violence against perceived dissidents. Trudeau stated, “India has made a monumental mistake in choosing to use their diplomats and organized crime to attack Canadians.”

Unnamed Indian officials responded to Trudeau’s remarks by dismissing them as “the same old Trudeau saying the same old things for the same old reasons.”

Reports from the Washington Post suggest that Canadian officials possess evidence linking high-level Indian involvement in these criminal activities to Indiaā€™s Home Minister Amit Shah, known as Modiā€™s right-hand man. This evidence was reportedly shared with Indiaā€™s National Security Adviser, Ajit Doval, who denied any involvement in violence but acknowledged Bishnoi’s capacity to orchestrate crime from prison.

Canadian officials have accused India of obstructing their investigation, stating that the Indian government has refused to waive diplomatic immunity for the implicated individuals. Meanwhile, India maintains that Canadian officials have not provided credible evidence to support their claims.

The situation has also drawn the attention of U.S. authorities, who were involved in recent discussions regarding India’s alleged role in transnational attacks. Last year, U.S. investigators foiled an attempt on the life of Sikh activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, allegedly by an Indian agent.

As diplomatic relations between Canada and India continue to deteriorate, the expelled Canadian charge d’affaires in New Delhi, Stewart Wheeler, urged India to address the serious allegations. “Canada has provided credible, irrefutable evidence of ties between agents of the government of India and the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil,” he stated. “Now, it is time for India to live up to what it said it would do and look into all those allegations.”

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