New Delhi, Oct 14 (PTI) A wide variety of entities in Canada and abroad was used by Indian agents to collect information and then used the details to target members of the South Asian community, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) alleged on Monday.
The RCMP’s comments came on a day India expelled six Canadian diplomats and announced withdrawing its High Commissioner from Canada after strongly dismissing Ottawa’s allegations linking the envoy to a probe into the killing of Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
India has been strongly rejecting Canada’s charge of involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar’s killing last year.
The RCMP has been investigating the murder.
The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations in September last year of a “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar.
New Delhi rejected Trudeau’s charges as “absurd”. India has been maintaining that the main issue has been that of Canada giving space to pro-Khalistani elements operating from Canadian soil with impunity.
“Investigations have revealed that Indian diplomats and consular officials based in Canada leveraged their official positions to engage in clandestine activities, such as collecting information for the government of India, either directly or through their proxies; and other individuals who acted voluntarily or through coercion,” the RCMP claimed in a statement.
New Delhi has already trashed charges against its diplomats and officials.
Evidence also shows that a wide variety of entities in Canada and abroad have been used by agents of the government of India to collect information, the RCMP alleged.
“Some of these individuals and businesses were coerced and threatened into working for the government of India. The information collected for the Government of India is then used to target members of the South Asian community,” it said.
“This evidence was presented directly to government of India officials, urging their cooperation in stemming the violence and requesting our law enforcement agencies work together to address these issues,” it said.
The RCMP said it is hoping to address these threats through relationship with the government of India and the National Investigation Agency with the end goal of strengthening the safety and security of the Canadian public and the South Asian community.
“The safety and security of our citizens, regardless of their background or beliefs, remains a top priority for the RCMP and we will not tolerate any form of intimidation, harassment, or harmful targeting of communities or individuals in Canada,” the RCMP said.
India has been asserting that its “core issue” with Canada remained that of the space given to separatists, terrorists and anti-India elements in that country. PTI MPB TIR TIR
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