Sikh MP calls for ban on RSS in Canada, curbs on Indian envoys

Canadian MP Jagmeet Singh waded into controversy on Wednesday after calling for sanctions against Indian diplomats and a ban on the RSS.

The remarks — coming amidst an escalating diplomatic row — spurred a flurry of questions and jibes from reporters as the politician beat a hasty retreat from the press conference.

“We demand that the Liberal government implement severe sanctions on Indian diplomats and banish the RSS, a violent, militant, terrorist organisation from India, which is a group that operates here in Canada and other countries as well,” he insisted during a press conference on Wednesday.

Call to denounce Modi

The former Trudeau ally cited the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as saying that Indian diplomats were “hiring criminal elements to shoot at Canadians” as he reiterated his call for sanctions. He also called for all Canadian leaders to unitedly “denounce” Prime Minister Narendra Modi and hold the Indian government “accountable”.

“It's not about me. This is about the fact that Canadians are at serious threat and serious risk. What the RCMP described is something that should be really troubling,” the Sikh leader claimed as reporters asked if he was being ‘targeted’.

“That's not how it works,” reports quoted another scribe as saying while the politician exited — drawing laughter from the audience.

India and Canada each expelled six diplomats from the other country this week after Ottawa linked agents of the New Delhi government to the 2023 murder of a Sikh separatist leader near Vancouver. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the ‘Indian government agents’ are linked to an organised crime group called the “Bishnoi group”.

India has repeatedly denied the allegations and contends that Canada is harbouring terrorist groups and promoting separatist activities.

High Commissioner leaves Canada 

India said it is withdrawing High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and other officials from Canada after disclosing they had been named as “persons of interest” in an investigation into the murder of a Sikh activist in British Columbia.

A Canadian government official, speaking on condition they not be identified, said Mr Verma and five other Indian diplomats were expelled from the country. India retaliated by expelling six Canadian diplomats, including the acting high commissioner — the equivalent of an ambassador — in New Delhi. 

(By arrangement with livemint.com)