NDP Seeks to Block Bhagwat’s Canada Visit; ‘Bishnoi Gang Exploited Student Visas’

August

2026

Members of Canada's New Democratic Party (NDP) have called on their federal government to deny entry to the Indian Hindu right-wing ‘fascist paramilitary organization’ Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Network's (RSS) head Mohan Bhagwat, due to visit Canada at the end of August. NDP Foreign Affairs Critic Heather McPherson and NDP Immigration and Public Safety Critic Jenny Kwan wrote on 7 Aug to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Public Safety, and Immigration to urge action in advance, and renewed past NDP calls on Canada to ban the RSS entirely. McPherson said, 'The RSS is an extremist group that advocates hate and violence towards religious minorities and marginalized in India and also engages in targeted intimidation of those who speak out against the organization in Canada. Multiple minority communities fear his presence in Canada could amplify hate and violence towards them and risk the safety of vulnerable individuals.' On 6 Aug, over 40 Canadian civil society organizations—including Canadian Forum for Human Rights and Democracy in India, Canadian Council of Indian Muslims, Canadians for Indian Democracy, World Sikh Organization, and Canadian Council of Muslim Women—released a joint letter calling for Mohan Bhagwat to be denied entry to Canada. Meanwhile, an intelligence report by the Canada Border Services Agency has revealed how the Lawrence Bishnoi gang systematically exploited Canada's international student visa and work permit programs to recruit vulnerable youth for transnational extortion and its violent crime network. The report ‘The Bishnoi Gang: An Emerging Threat in Canada’ was circulated among immigration officers in December 2025 as a tactical guide to help authorities counter the gang's growing activities targeting Canada's South Asian communities. A Canadian intelligence assessment also claimed that between 2019–23, approximately 4K Indians, including Panjabis, who had entered Canada on study permits were charged with a total of 17,929 offenses. Of these, 4,920 charges were classified as serious or related to organized crime. The report further stated that more than 13,040 criminal charges were leveled in 2024 against Indian citizens in Canada on study visas. Concurrently, Chandigarh Police has registered nine First Information Reports of cheating, including eight alleging immigration fraud, against operators of visa and overseas placement consultancies in different parts of the city, with complainants claiming they were cheated of more than USD 62K on the promise of jobs and visas abroad (earlier coverage).