Canadian Intelligence Cultivates Sikh Separatists as ‘Assets’: Verma

In an interview aired on CTV News on 14 Oct, outgoing Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma in Canada vehemently denied any involvement of Indian agents in criminal activities in the country (SDW Vol 2 Issue 42, Story 1). Verma specifically refuted allegations linking the Indian govt. to the murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia in June 2023. He criticized Canadian authorities, asserting, ‘Unfortunately, not a shred of evidence has been shared with us.’ Verma also accused Canadian intelligence of cultivating Sikh separatists as ‘assets’. However, The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) maintains that it possesses ‘clear and compelling evidence’ of Indian agents engaging in activities that threaten public safety, as stated by RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme on 14 Oct. Since 22 Oct, the interview on CTV News website became inaccessible to users with Indian IP addresses. The interview is still available on CTV News’ YouTube channel. Concurrently, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar criticized Canada’s double standards in treating Indian diplomats, noting that while Indian diplomats are expected to endure threats due to freedom of speech, Canadian diplomats accuse Indian journalists of foreign interference. Amid the developing diplomatic row between Canada and India, Panjab Police via the Govt. of India allegedly shared a pinpointed location of gangster Goldy Brar in Canada in May 2022, and claimed Canadian authorities did not respond. Verma also claimed Canada removed Goldy from their ‘Most Wanted’ list. The RCMP does not post a ‘Most Wanted’ list. Verma is referring to a not-for-profit organization called BOLO, that lists wanted criminals in Canada.