Canadian leader Jagmeet Singh urges diplomatic sanctions on India, RSS ban

Canada's New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh expressed concerns for the Sikh community in Canada, urging the Canadian government to take decisive action against India

Amid rising diplomatic tensions between India and Canada following the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Jagmeet Singh, leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP) and former ally of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, made strong remarks on Monday. He expressed deep concerns for the Sikh community in Canada, urging the Canadian government to take decisive action against India, including diplomatic sanctions.

Call for diplomatic sanctions and ban on RSS

In his statement, Singh expressed support for the recent expulsion of Indian diplomats, calling for further action. “We support today’s decision to expel India’s diplomats and we’re calling on the Government of Canada yet again to put diplomatic sanctions against India in place, ban the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) network in Canada, and commit to pursuing the most severe consequences for anyone found to have participated in organised criminal activity on Canadian soil,” Jagmeet Singh said.

 

Concerns over Canadian Sikh community’s safety

Singh voiced grave concerns about the safety of Sikhs in Canada, referencing the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) report. He said that the Canadian Sikh community has been living in fear due to threats, harassment, and violence, including extortion, electoral interference, and other forms of violence.

“Canadians, particularly the Sikh community in Canada, have been stalked by fear, threats, harassment, and violence — including extortion, violence, and electoral interference — all allegedly at the hands of Indian officials,” he stated.

The RCMP, on October 14, released a report outlining four critical issues, including violent extremism affecting both nations, potential links between Indian government agents and homicides, and interference in Canada’s democratic processes.

Allegations against Indian govt and Nijjar’s murder

Singh further alleged that Canada has credible evidence linking Indian officials to Nijjar’s assassination. He said, “Canada has long held credible evidence that the Narendra Modi government was involved in the murder of Canadian Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil, and the United States has already indicted multiple individuals for related crimes — yet the NDP had to fight just to have potential subversive activity by India included in the inquiry into foreign interference.”

He also emphasised that since September 2023, at least 13 individuals have been warned of serious threats against their lives, adding, “The safety of Canadians has not yet been assured.”

Who is Canadian politician Jagmeet Singh?

Singh became the first person of a visible minority to lead a major Canadian federal political party. He was elected NDP leader with a significant first-round vote of 53.8 per cent in a competitive field in 2017.

He has represented Burnaby South as a Member of Parliament (MP) since 2019. Under his leadership, the NDP experienced mixed electoral results, losing seats in the 2019 federal election but gaining one in 2021.

Canada expels six Indian diplomats

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced the expulsion of six Indian diplomats, citing their involvement in a “targeted campaign against Canadian citizens” by agents connected to the Indian government on October 14. 

In a retaliatory move, India expelled six Canadian diplomats on Monday, hours after summoning Canada’s Charge d’Affaires, Stewart Wheeler. India’s Ministry of External Affairs condemned what it termed the “baseless targeting” of Indian officials in Canada, calling it unacceptable. The expelled diplomats were asked to leave India by October 19, 2024.

Relations between the two countries have been strained since Trudeau’s claims in 2023 that there were ‘credible allegations’ of Indian involvement in Nijjar’s murder.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was labelled a terrorist by India’s National Investigation Agency in 2020, was killed outside a gurdwara in Surrey in June 2023. India has categorically denied Trudeau’s allegations, describing them as ‘absurd’ and ‘motivated’, while also accusing Canada of harbouring anti-India elements and extremists.