News
Confirmed: Canada a Hub for Khalistani Extremists Pushing Violence in India
A newly released report by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) marks a pivotal moment, affirming India’s long-standing claims that Khalistani extremists are operating from Canada to plan, fund, and incite violence within India.
Key insights from the CSIS report
- For the first time, CSIS publicly acknowledged that Khalistani terrorist groups are using Canadian territory to raise funds, strategize, and encourage violence targeting India
- These developments surface amid renewed diplomatic focus, shortly after Prime Ministers Mark Carney and Narendra Modi engaged at the G7 summit in Alberta
- CSIS emphasizes that while these extremist elements are a Canadian security concern, there is no indication they intend to carry out attacks within Canada at this time .
Why this matters
- Strengthens India’s position
- New Delhi has often criticized Canada for allowing a “safe haven” for extremist activities. This official intelligence boost substantiates those claims
- Diplomatic implications
- Coming after G7 deliberations and resumed diplomatic ties, the report could influence future cooperation on counter-terrorism and extradition.
- Impact on Canada’s internal security policy
- While CSIS labels these groups as a security risk, it also notes they currently lack intent to strike inside Canada, but underscores the need to monitor their transnational activities
The broader Canada–India context
- In June 2023, the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey triggered a major diplomatic rift—Canada blamed agents tied to India, leading to mutual expulsions
- Subsequently, Canada accused India of foreign interference via harassment of Sikh activists within its borders
- Both nations exchanged accusations—India stressing Canada’s permissiveness toward extremist groups, Canada emphasizing India’s “transnational repression” tactics