India denies working with mobsters to target Sikh separatists on Canadian soil

India's government on Thursday denied it was working with mobsters to target Sikh separatists in Canada as alleged publicly this week by Canadian officials in an escalating diplomatic dispute.

India's External Affairs Ministry spokespersonRandhir Jaiswal deniedthatIndiawasincahoots withIndia-basedmobstersinCanadaand even suggestedthatCanadianauthorities had been resisting India's attemptstoextradite those peopletoIndia.

"Itis strangethatpeople who we askedtobe deportedare being blamed by the Canadians for committing crimesinCanada," Jaiswal said.

CanadianPrime Minister Justin Trudeau and police officialswent public this weekwith allegationsthatIndian diplomats were targetingSikhseparatistsinCanadaby sharing information about them with their government back home. They said top Indian officials were then passingthatinformation alongtoIndian organized crime groups who were targeting the activists, who areCanadiancitizens, with drive-by shootings, extortions and even murder.

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Is India using diplomats and organized crime in Canada? | About That

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Canada has expelled six high-level Indian diplomats after the RCMP said it had evidence that Indian diplomats in Canada were involved in a campaign to intimidate, coerce and sometimes even kill on Canadian soil. Andrew Chang breaks down what we know about Canada's allegations of Indian government ties to organized crime and this latest diplomatic escalation between the two countries.

The two sides ordered the expulsion of top diplomats this weekinthe deepening crisis over the accusations, including Canada'sallegationthatthe diplomats were linkedtothe June 2023 killing of Canadian SikhactivistHardeep Singh Nijjar.

The Nijjar killing has soured ties for more than a year, and despite Canada's assertionthatithas forwarded evidence of its allegationstoIndian authorities, the Indian government continuestodenyithas seen any.

Jaiswal said again on ThursdaythatCanadahas provided no evidence of its allegations surrounding attacks onSikhactivists, contradicting Trudeau's statements this weekthathis country's investigators have privately shared information with Indian counterparts and found themtobe unco-operative.

At the same time, Jaiswal accusedCanadaof failingtotake action against Sikhs livinginCanadawho face terrorism chargesinIndiaand who are accused of being part of aSikhsecessionist campaigninIndia's northern Punjab state.

Jaiswal said India's 26 extradition requests have been pendinginCanadafor a decade or more. He also saidthatseveral criminals had provisional arrest requests pending withCanadianauthorities.

"Some of them are charged with terror and terror-related crimes (inIndia). So far, no action has been taken by theCanadianside on our requests. This is very serious," Jaiswal said.

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Indiahas repeatedly criticized theCanadiangovernment for being soft on supporters of what is known as the Khalistan movement, which is bannedinIndiabut has support among theSikhdiaspora, particularlyinCanada.

The RCMP said on Mondayithadidentified India's top diplomatinthe countryand five other diplomats as persons of interestinthe Nijjar killing. The RCMP also said they uncovered evidence of an intensifying campaign against Canadians by agents of the Indian government.

Nijjar, 45, was fatally shot last yearinhis pickup truck after he left theSikhtemple he ledinSurrey, British Columbia. An Indian-born citizen ofCanada, he owned a plumbing business and was a leaderinwhat remains of a once-strong movementtocreate an independentSikhhomeland.

Four Indian nationals livinginCanadawere charged with Nijjar's murder and are awaiting trial.