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India has sought extradition of 26 terror accused and arrest of several criminals over the past few years, says MEA
Canadian authorities did not act against Lawrence Bishnoi gang members despite arrest requests from India over the past several years, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday (October 17, 2024).
Responding to Canadian claims that Bishnoi was involved in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “There are several provisional arrest requests of criminals pending with the Canadian side. We have shared security related information with the Canadian government, including gang members, including those of Lawrence Bishnoi gang, requesting them to arrest them or take due action”.
The MEA Spokesperson also said 26 extradition requests were pending with the Canadian side pertaining to terror and related charges over the last decade or so. According to Jaiswal, some of the notable ones charged with terrorism and related crimes are: Gurjeet Singh, Gurjinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Lakhbir Singh Landa, and Arshdeep Singh Gill.
“So far, no action has been taken against the Canadian side over our requests. This is very serious,” Jaiswal said.
“We find it really strange that the people who we asked to be extradited or action be taken…now RCMP is telling the Indian side that these people are committing crimes in Canada for which you are to be blamed. This is a contradiction in terms which we don't understand,” he remarked.
The MEA's statement came in response to questions at the weekly media briefing a day after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau named gangster Bishnoi as being involved in the murder of Nijjar in September last year. Bishnoi was earlier mentioned by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for alleged involvement in the case.
In his testimony to a commission inquiring into foreign interference in Canada's governance, Prime Minister Trudeau, however, said he had no hard evidentiary proof, and only intelligence, when he accused India of involvement in the killing of Nijjar outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023.
Reacting to this, the MEA said, “What we have heard today only confirms what we have been saying consistently all along - Canada has presented us no evidence whatsoever in support of the serious allegations that it has chosen to level against India and Indian diplomats”.
“The responsibility for the damage that this cavalier behaviour has caused to India-Canada relations lies with Prime Minister Trudeau alone,” the MEA maintained.
A diplomatic row was triggered between India and Canada after Prime Minister Trudeau made allegations in September 2023 about India’s potential involvement in the death of Nijjar, who had been designated a terrorist by India. India has firmly rubbished Canada's allegations, calling them "absurd" and "motivated" and noting that the Trudeau administration has yet to provide any evidence to back this claim.
India has also repeatedly accused Canada of providing safe haven to those wanted on terrorism charges.
Earlier this week, Canada came out with a fresh set of allegations and said top Indian diplomats, including the High Commissioner, were “persons of interest” in the Nijjar murder case. Issuing a strongly-worded statement on Monday (October 14, 2024), the MEA described these as “preposterous imputations” that are part of the “political agenda” of Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau centred around “vote-bank politics”. The MEA highlighted Prime Minister Trudeau’s “hostility to India” and his “naked interference in India’s internal politics”.
The MEA statement maintained that Prime Minister Trudeau’s government had deliberately brought in India to mitigate the damage after criticism for turning a blind eye to foreign interference in Canadian politics, adding that the latest allegations also serve the anti-India separatist agenda that his government has constantly pandered to for narrow political gains.
India later withdrew its High Commissioner to Ottawa and expelled six Canadian diplomats posted in New Delhi, including the Acting High Commissioner.
Responding to Canadian claims that Bishnoi was involved in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “There are several provisional arrest requests of criminals pending with the Canadian side. We have shared security related information with the Canadian government, including gang members, including those of Lawrence Bishnoi gang, requesting them to arrest them or take due action”.
The MEA Spokesperson also said 26 extradition requests were pending with the Canadian side pertaining to terror and related charges over the last decade or so. According to Jaiswal, some of the notable ones charged with terrorism and related crimes are: Gurjeet Singh, Gurjinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Lakhbir Singh Landa, and Arshdeep Singh Gill.
“So far, no action has been taken against the Canadian side over our requests. This is very serious,” Jaiswal said.
“We find it really strange that the people who we asked to be extradited or action be taken…now RCMP is telling the Indian side that these people are committing crimes in Canada for which you are to be blamed. This is a contradiction in terms which we don't understand,” he remarked.
The MEA's statement came in response to questions at the weekly media briefing a day after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau named gangster Bishnoi as being involved in the murder of Nijjar in September last year. Bishnoi was earlier mentioned by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for alleged involvement in the case.
In his testimony to a commission inquiring into foreign interference in Canada's governance, Prime Minister Trudeau, however, said he had no hard evidentiary proof, and only intelligence, when he accused India of involvement in the killing of Nijjar outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023.
Reacting to this, the MEA said, “What we have heard today only confirms what we have been saying consistently all along - Canada has presented us no evidence whatsoever in support of the serious allegations that it has chosen to level against India and Indian diplomats”.
“The responsibility for the damage that this cavalier behaviour has caused to India-Canada relations lies with Prime Minister Trudeau alone,” the MEA maintained.
A diplomatic row was triggered between India and Canada after Prime Minister Trudeau made allegations in September 2023 about India’s potential involvement in the death of Nijjar, who had been designated a terrorist by India. India has firmly rubbished Canada's allegations, calling them "absurd" and "motivated" and noting that the Trudeau administration has yet to provide any evidence to back this claim.
India has also repeatedly accused Canada of providing safe haven to those wanted on terrorism charges.
Earlier this week, Canada came out with a fresh set of allegations and said top Indian diplomats, including the High Commissioner, were “persons of interest” in the Nijjar murder case. Issuing a strongly-worded statement on Monday (October 14, 2024), the MEA described these as “preposterous imputations” that are part of the “political agenda” of Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau centred around “vote-bank politics”. The MEA highlighted Prime Minister Trudeau’s “hostility to India” and his “naked interference in India’s internal politics”.
The MEA statement maintained that Prime Minister Trudeau’s government had deliberately brought in India to mitigate the damage after criticism for turning a blind eye to foreign interference in Canadian politics, adding that the latest allegations also serve the anti-India separatist agenda that his government has constantly pandered to for narrow political gains.
India later withdrew its High Commissioner to Ottawa and expelled six Canadian diplomats posted in New Delhi, including the Acting High Commissioner.
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