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No links between Indian govt and transnational repression or foreign interference: Canada police chief
Just prior to Mark Carney’s visit, a senior official, said authorities no longer suspected India of interfering in Canada’s democratic processes or being involved in targeted violence in the country
Toronto: The head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has said that there are currently no links between the Indian government and transnational repression or foreign interference.
In an interview with the outlet CTV News, which will air on Sunday, RCMP commissioner Mike Duheme was asked whether his agency was concerned about transnational repression by agents of India. He replied, “In the files that we have that involve transnational repression, we’re not seeing any connection right now with any foreign entity, based on the criminal information, the investigations that we have presently.”
The host pressed on the matter several times, according to a clip of the exchange posted by the outlet. When asked whether Indian agents posed a threat to public safety, Duheme said, “I’m saying that based on the totality of the files that we have on foreign interference or transnational repression, what we have in our holdings is we have people that are intimidating people, harassing people, but connecting the dots to a foreign entity, regardless of the country, we don’t have that.”
In October 2024 Duheme had led a press conference during which the RCMP had accused Indian officials of being linked to targeted violence in Canada. India withdrew six diplomats and officials from the country after Ottawa asked New Delhi to waive their immunity so they could be questioned in that regard. Six Canadian diplomats were expelled in retaliation.
Duheme statement comes within weeks of similar statements from Canadian officials. Just prior to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s bilateral visit, a senior official, during the course of a background briefing, said authorities no longer suspected India of interfering in Canada’s democratic processes or being involved in targeted violence in the country.
During a technical briefing in late February, an unnamed official said, “I really don’t think we’d be taking this trip if we thought these kind of activities were continuing.”
Canada has not rejected that statement though officials, including Carney, have tempered it by saying they would not have used those exact words in that context.
Earlier this month, the Premier of the province of British Columbia David Eby said his government had “no information” about Indian involvement in violence connected to the extortion crisis there”.
“For what we have information for at the political level, at least in British Columbia, we don’t have information about the Indian government’s involvement in extortion,” Premier David Eby said during the course of an interview with CTV News.
He said he was aware of published reports about the alleged linked between the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and the potential connection to the Indian government. But, he stressed, “I want to be clear: At this point, we do not have any information.”
“Police may. I’m not part of the investigation the information they have, but we don’t have any information that the Indian government is involved in this,” he added.
India has consistently denied accusations of its involvement in such activities in Canada and argued no evidence in that regard has been presented as yet.
