Canada top cop urges Sikh community to speak up amid diplomatic row with India

The head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has urged the Sikh community here to speak out as they continue to investigate allegations linking the Central government to a campaign of violence on Canadian soil.

In an interview with Radio-Canada on Tuesday, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme urged people with knowledge relevant to the investigation they are doing to come forward, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

On Monday, Duheme publicly alleged that "agents" of the government of India had played a role in "widespread" acts of violence in Canada, including homicides.

Duheme alleged that Indian diplomats and consular officials in Canada have been linked to murders and acts of "extortion, intimidation and coercion" against Canadians and people living in Canada.

He told reporters that the national force felt it had to come forward to disrupt the networks working in Canada, which he said pose a "significant threat to public safety in our country."

"If people come forward, we can help them and I ask them to come forward if they can," he said in the interview with the Radio-Canada.

"People come to Canada to feel safe, and our job as law enforcement is to make sure that they're in an environment that is safe to live."

Asked if members of the Indian community should be concerned for their safety, Duheme said he hopes they "have trust and confidence in the police jurisdiction."

On Tuesday, the RCMP alleged that the Bishnoi gang is connected to the “agents” of the Indian government, which is targeting the South Asian community specifically "pro-Khalistani elements" in the country.

On this, India strongly rejected attempts by Canadian authorities to link Indian agents with criminal gangs in Canada with official sources in New Delhi even saying that Ottawa's assertion that it shared evidence with New Delhi in the Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar case was simply not true.

The sources in New Delhi also rejected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations that India was engaging in activities including carrying out covert operations targeting Canadian nationals in his country.

On Monday, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and announced withdrawing its high commissioner from Canada after dismissing Ottawa's allegations linking the envoy to a probe into the killing of Nijjar.