The Commons Public Safety Committee by unanimous vote has agreed to investigate RCMP murder-for-hire allegations against the government of India. Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly and Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be questioned as part of the investigation," per Blacklock's Reporter. “A criminal is a criminal and a Canadian is a Canadian,” said Conservative MP Jasraj Singh Hallan at the committee vote. “This is definitely something about foreign interference that the Sikh community knows well and has been talking about for more than 40 years in Canada. We are at a very critical point now.”“Real action needs to be taken now for the safety of Canadians. It has been far too long.”“(All Canadians) should feel safe in Canada.”The committee adopted a motion that it investigate “violent criminal activities carried out by agents of the Government of India” and question Joly, LeBlanc, RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme and others.“This is not the first time we have been witness to serious allegations involving the Government of India,” said NDP MP Alistair MacGregor, sponsor of the motion.“The revelations from the RCMP delivered to the Canadian public were nothing short of explosive,” said MacGregor. “I think they demand this committee’s attention.”The RCMP in an October 14 statement alleged “serious criminal activity in Canada” by Indian agents. “There has been well over a dozen credible and imminent threats to life,” it said.“The RCMP has obtained evidence that demonstrates four very serious issues: 1) Violent extremism impacting both countries; 2) Links tying agents of the Government of India to homicides and violent acts; 3) The use of organized crime to create a perception of an unsafe environment targeting the South Asian community in Canada; and 4) Interference into democratic processes.”Conservative MP Raquel Dancho expressed outrage. “The allegations of what India has done on Canadian soil represent an outrageous assault on Canada’s sovereignty and are completely unacceptable,” said Dancho.“Foreign interference from any country as we know, including from India, must be put to a stop. The first job of the prime minister and the Canadian government is to keep citizens safe from foreign threats. That is the first job.”Cabinet to date has expelled seven Indian diplomats following disclosures last September 18 that foreign agents were suspected of killing a Sikh nationalist in Surrey, BC Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was fatally shot in the parking lot of a community center the previous June 18.“The allegations that a representative of a foreign government may have been involved in the killing of a Canadian citizen here in Canada, on Canadian soil, is not only troubling but completely unacceptable,” said Joly at the time. “If proven true this would be a grave violation of our sovereignty and of the most basic rules of how countries deal with each other.”Nijjar immigrated to British Columbia in 1996 and was designated a terrorist by India’s National Investigation Agency. The Hindustan Times called him “the backbone of secessionist, terror and anti-India activities” abroad.
The Commons Public Safety Committee by unanimous vote has agreed to investigate RCMP murder-for-hire allegations against the government of India. Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly and Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be questioned as part of the investigation," per Blacklock's Reporter. “A criminal is a criminal and a Canadian is a Canadian,” said Conservative MP Jasraj Singh Hallan at the committee vote. “This is definitely something about foreign interference that the Sikh community knows well and has been talking about for more than 40 years in Canada. We are at a very critical point now.”“Real action needs to be taken now for the safety of Canadians. It has been far too long.”“(All Canadians) should feel safe in Canada.”The committee adopted a motion that it investigate “violent criminal activities carried out by agents of the Government of India” and question Joly, LeBlanc, RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme and others.“This is not the first time we have been witness to serious allegations involving the Government of India,” said NDP MP Alistair MacGregor, sponsor of the motion.“The revelations from the RCMP delivered to the Canadian public were nothing short of explosive,” said MacGregor. “I think they demand this committee’s attention.”The RCMP in an October 14 statement alleged “serious criminal activity in Canada” by Indian agents. “There has been well over a dozen credible and imminent threats to life,” it said.“The RCMP has obtained evidence that demonstrates four very serious issues: 1) Violent extremism impacting both countries; 2) Links tying agents of the Government of India to homicides and violent acts; 3) The use of organized crime to create a perception of an unsafe environment targeting the South Asian community in Canada; and 4) Interference into democratic processes.”Conservative MP Raquel Dancho expressed outrage. “The allegations of what India has done on Canadian soil represent an outrageous assault on Canada’s sovereignty and are completely unacceptable,” said Dancho.“Foreign interference from any country as we know, including from India, must be put to a stop. The first job of the prime minister and the Canadian government is to keep citizens safe from foreign threats. That is the first job.”Cabinet to date has expelled seven Indian diplomats following disclosures last September 18 that foreign agents were suspected of killing a Sikh nationalist in Surrey, BC Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was fatally shot in the parking lot of a community center the previous June 18.“The allegations that a representative of a foreign government may have been involved in the killing of a Canadian citizen here in Canada, on Canadian soil, is not only troubling but completely unacceptable,” said Joly at the time. “If proven true this would be a grave violation of our sovereignty and of the most basic rules of how countries deal with each other.”Nijjar immigrated to British Columbia in 1996 and was designated a terrorist by India’s National Investigation Agency. The Hindustan Times called him “the backbone of secessionist, terror and anti-India activities” abroad.
