Canada’s intelligence service has accused the Indian government of ramping up its campaign of foreign repression, citing the assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia as a watershed moment in a wider, transnational strategy to silence dissenters abroad.
In a report released to Parliament on Wednesday, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) described the June 2023 murder of Nijjar as part of a “significant escalation in India’s repression efforts”, warning that the killing marked a broader pattern of foreign interference alongside similar efforts by China, Russia, Iran, and Pakistan.
“Indian officials, including their Canada-based proxy agents, engage in a range of activities that seek to influence Canadian communities and politicians,” the report said. “When these activities are deceptive, clandestine or threatening, they are deemed to be foreign interference.”
The warning from CSIS came just a day after Prime Minister Mark Carney shook hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G7 summit in Alberta, pledging to restore diplomatic relations between Ottawa and New Delhi following a months-long diplomatic rift.
The meeting drew sharp criticism from Sikh organisations and human rights advocates, who expressed outrage over the timing and tone of the diplomatic reset. “Diplomatic normalisation with the Modi regime must not come at the expense of justice and transparency,” said Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), an advocacy group pushing for an independent Sikh homeland.
In its annual report, CSIS identified India as being directly involved in covert operations to suppress voices sympathetic to the Khalistan movement, which seeks a separate Sikh nation. It specifically referenced the assassination of Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, saying investigators had found “a link between agents of the Government of India and criminal networks to sow violent activity in South Asian communities in Canada”.
Four Indian nationals currently residing in Canada have been charged in connection with Nijjar’s murder. The fallout from the killing sparked a diplomatic crisis: Canada expelled six Indian diplomats, including High Commissioner Sanjay Verma, prompting a tit-for-tat response from New Delhi.
Despite the unresolved investigation, Carney has adopted a pragmatic tone in rebuilding ties with India. Modi was invited to the G7 summit over the objections of Sikh leaders, human rights groups, and even members of Carney’s own party. The prime minister justified the decision by citing the need for economic engagement and geopolitical cooperation.
Asked whether he raised the Nijjar case directly with Modi, Carney declined to comment. Meanwhile, his office announced that both countries had agreed to reinstate their high commissioners and “return to regular services to citizens and businesses”.
In a joint statement released at the end of the G7 summit, leaders from Canada, the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy and Japan expressed “deep concern” over the rise of transnational repression, denouncing efforts to “intimidate, harass, harm or coerce individuals or communities outside their borders”. India, however, was not mentioned by name.
Calls for accountability are mounting. On Wednesday, Pannun, who himself was reportedly targeted by Indian intelligence and whose life was saved by US federal agents, demanded clarity on whether Modi was questioned about his government’s alleged involvement in Nijjar’s assassination.
British Columbia’s Premier, David Eby, also weighed in, revealing that he had asked the federal government to designate the Bishnoi gang m, a criminal network allegedly connected to the murder, as a terrorist organisation. The gang, reportedly led by Lawrence Bishnoi from an Indian prison, is believed to have orchestrated violent crimes in Canada aimed at intimidating South Asian business owners.
“There are allegations that gangs in India are operating here in our province, and in other provinces, to intimidate and extort business owners,” Eby told reporters. “This activity strikes at public confidence in the justice system, in our democracy.”
The situation remains tense, with Sikh organisations warning that without justice for Nijjar, any diplomatic thaw may be seen as a betrayal.
