Pro-Khalistan elements in Canadian defence, Parliament: Recalled Indian envoy

Indian envoy Sanjay Kumar Verma, who was recalled after Canada said senior diplomats were “persons of interest” in the Hardeep Singh Nijjar murder probe, on Thursday said that there are pro-Khalistan elements in every Canadian law and order vertical, including their defence forces and even the Parliament.
“Today, almost every Canadian law and order vertical has got in it, pro-Khalistan elements and the infiltration includes their defence forces and even the Parliament,” Sanjay Verma said in an interview with news agency PTI.
The ties between India and Canada took a nosedive after Canada linked Verma and some other Indian diplomats to the killing of the Khalistani terrorist Nijjar. New Delhi, however, outrightly rejected the charges and High Commissioner Verma and five other diplomats from Ottawa while expelling six Canadian diplomats from India.
Highlighting the deep-rooted presence of the Khalistani elements in Canada, Verma said that their influence allows them to push their agenda, often challenging India’s territorial integrity.
“There are numerous Canadian parliamentarians who have publicly voiced opinions against the sovereignty of India. As a fellow democracy, I would have expected that they would uphold the importance of territorial integrity, rather than supporting divisive rhetoric,” the High Commissioner said.
When asked about why the Canadian administration hasn’t taken decisive action against the Khalistanis, Verma attributed it to the complex dynamics of Canadian politics and its diaspora communities.
“The Canadian foreign policy, in my view, is heavily shaped by inputs from these diasporic communities, who are also voters. To secure electoral victories, political leaders rely on their support, which inevitably leads to the incorporation of anti-India views into foreign policy,” New Delhi’s envoy to Ottawa said.
Further in his conversation, Verma said that the pro-Khalistan factions, often the loudest, garner significant attention in the country’s political landscape.
“While many members of the Indian community are in Canada simply to earn a livelihood and live peacefully, it is the Khalistani groups who are the most vocal. Their loudness ensures that their voices are heard, even when others prefer to remain silent and focus on their work and lives,” he said.