Parliamentary Committee Notes: Engagement with allies related to India
Issue
Following the announcement by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police revealing links between the Government of India and homicides and violent acts in Canada, as well as the use of criminal networks, Government of Canada officials quickly moved to engage FVEY and European (France and Germany) allies to inform them of our actions and seek their support.
Proposed Response
- From the beginning of this investigation, the Government of Canada has been transparent with its Five Eyes partners and other key allies about the intent to work with our closest partners toward the outcome of keeping Canadians safe and secure.
- We proactively engaged with our U.S. and U.K. counterparts, at the Minister and Deputy Minister level prior to the announcement by the RCMP, and additional outreach occurred, at the Minister, Deputy Minister, and Assistant Deputy Minister level, immediately after the announcement.
- We continue our engagement with our Five Eyes allies, in addition to other key international partners, to amplify our efforts to seek the Government of India’s cooperation on this matter. This is particularly the case with the U.S., where the Department of Justice is investigating the attempted murder of a prominent Sikh activist by criminal actors linked to the Government of India.
Responsive
Engagement with Provinces/Territories and Community Organizations
- Senior officials at Public Safety reached out in the hours and days after the RCMP’s announcement to several community groups in the South Asian community, to inform and reassure them that our law enforcement and intelligence agencies are taking action to ensure the safety and security of all our citizens.
- These same officials also reached out to their Provincial and Territorial counterparts, as this issue cuts across multiple jurisdictions and affects our communities by undermining their rights and freedoms.
- The lines of communication between our communities and federal Public Safety stakeholders remain open should groups or individuals feel the need to reach out.
Background
On June 18 , 2023, prominent Sikh leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was shot and killed outside Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara. An RCMP investigation of the murder led to the arrest of four individuals in May 2024, as well as uncovering a significant amount of information about the breadth and depth of criminal activity in Canada orchestrated by the Government of India and its local proxies in Canada. This includes not only homicides and other forms of extreme violence (such as targeted assassinations) but also purported extortion of South Asian community members, and interference by the Government of India in democratic processes here in Canada.
On October 14, 2024, following the announcement by the RCMP about the results of its investigation, the Government of Canada declared several of India’s key diplomatic representatives in Canada, as persona non grata.
The RCMP’s law enforcement action in May 2024, as well as the diplomatic action on October 14 were preceded by proactive engagement between the Minister of Public Safety and the Deputy Minister with U.S. and U.K. counterparts, and additional engagement with remaining FVEY, following the announcement of our actions.
Canada’s law enforcement and security agencies have also been providing regular updates to their FVEY counterparts on this investigation .
Contacts
Prepared by: NSOD/NCSB
Approved by: [REDACTED], Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, NCSB, [REDACTED]
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