Indian Agencies Ask Canada To Bolster Security As Khalistan Spectre Looms Over PM Modi's G7 Visit
Last Updated:
Agencies have assessed that PM Modi's presence in Canada—a country where Khalistani groups have dominance—could be exploited for disruptive demonstrations or worse
Khalistani organisations have planned protests in Canada from the time Prime Minister Narendra Modi lands in the country for the G7 Summit, raising serious security concerns. Intelligence reports confirm that India's central agencies have issued detailed missives to Canadian authorities, cautioning about threats and asking them to ensure stronger security measures.
The warnings come amid growing activities by pro-Khalistan terror outfits in the region, which have frequently targeted Indian diplomatic missions and officials in the past. Agencies have assessed that PM Modi's presence in Canada—a country where Khalistani groups have dominance and have seen a resurgence in recent years—could be exploited for disruptive demonstrations or worse.
'Threats were taken seriously," said a senior government official, speaking confidentially. 'Canadian officials have been requested to expand perimeter security and to closely monitor groups or individuals with known extremist associations."
A video was also released by declared terrorist and SFJ chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun to send a message to cadres ahead of PM Modi's visit to Canada.
The prime minister's personal security is with the Special Protection Group (SPG), which has carried out a thorough threat assessment and will follow a stringent, pre-planned security protocol during the visit. The movement will be restricted and regulated, with the pre-determined route comprehensively sanitised, according to sources. There are no further public interactions or further events planned, keeping exposure to a minimum.
This follows wider fears in India of Canada being too soft on anti-India forces based out of its territory. Relations between the two countries have been strained in recent months, especially after incidents involving Indian consulates in Vancouver and Toronto.
This trip will challenge both Canadian desires to act on India's grievances and its capacity to deal with extremist forces during high-profile global events.
Canadian authorities have not yet issued an official statement on the intelligence alerts or certain security arrangements scheduled for the G7 summit, which will be attended by the leaders of the world's economies.
PM Modi will attend the G7 Summit at the invitation of Prime Minister Mark Carney. The summit will provide space for the exchange of views on pressing global issues and the priorities of the Global South.
On June 18, Modi will visit the Republic of Croatia and hold meetings with President Zoran Milanovic and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic. Both countries enjoy centuries-old close cultural links. As the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Croatia, it will open new avenues for bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
A key highlight of PM Modi's trip will be his first meeting with Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis. The External Affairs Ministry views this meeting as a chance to reboot India-Canada relations, built on mutual respect, common interests, and consideration for each other's concerns. Notably, this will be PM Modi's first visit to Canada in 10 years.
First Published:
June 16, 2025, 08:31 IST
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Neighbourhood policy at work: India to fly home Nepal, Sri Lanka citizens from Iran
In a major diplomatic outreach to its neighbours, India said Saturday it will evacuate nationals of Nepal and Sri Lanka who are stranded in Iran and want to leave the country. Officials in Delhi framed it as an example of India's 'neighbourhood first policy' — of helping its neighbours in times of crisis, be it conflict, natural calamity or pandemic. This announcement came on the day two more flights, operated by the Iranian Mahan Air, landed in Delhi. The Indian embassy in Tehran, in a post on X, said, 'On request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka, the Indian Embassy's evacuation efforts in Iran will also cover citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka.' 'The citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka may urgently reach out to the Embassy, either on the Telegram channel or over the emergency contact numbers: +989010144557;+989128109115; +989128109109,' it stated. Nepal's Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba expressed Kathmandu's gratitude. In a post on X, she thanked External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar 'for India's swift assistance in helping to evacuate Nepali nationals from Iran'. 'India's support in Nepal's evacuation efforts is a reflection of the strength of Nepal-India ties,' she said. Sources said about 16 Nepal nationals are in touch with the Nepalese embassy in Delhi. Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a post, said, 'Sri Lanka extends its sincere gratitude to the Government of India for the timely assistance to evacuate Sri Lankan nationals from Iran alongside Indian citizens. This act of solidarity exemplifies the strong and enduring partnership between Sri Lanka and India, and is deeply appreciated by the people of Sri Lanka.' So far, a total of 827 Indians have been evacuated from Iran. 'Another evacuation flight from Mashhad landed in New Delhi at 1630 hrs on 21 June with 310 Indian nationals from Iran. With this, a total of 827 Indians have been evacuated,' Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said. A group of about 290 Indian nationals, including students, reached Delhi late Friday night and early Saturday after being evacuated from Iran as its war with Israel intensified. On Wednesday, India announced the launch of Operation Sindhu to evacuate its nationals from Iran. 'Operation Sindhu flight brings citizens home. India evacuated 290 Indian nationals from Iran, including students and religious pilgrims by a charter flight. The flight arrived in New Delhi at 2330 hrs on 20 June and was received by Secretary (CPV& OIA) Arun Chatterjee,' Jaiswal wrote on X. 'Government of India is grateful to the Government of Iran for the facilitation of the evacuation process,' he said. The first batch of 110 Indian nationals, evacuated under Operation Sindhu, arrived in India Thursday, with many evacuees sharing firsthand accounts of the frightening situation they witnessed before being moved to safer locations. This is not the first time that Delhi has stepped in to evacuate citizens of its neighbours. In the early days of the Ukraine war, India evacuated nationals of neighbouring countries along with its own. Delhi managed to persuade Tehran to open Iranian airspace for the evacuation of around 1,000 Indians via the north-eastern town of Mashhad. Sources said Delhi, after days of negotiations, moved its nationals to Mashhad and secured overflight permissions from Iran and Turkmenistan to fly Indians out of harm's way. Mashhad is close to Iran's border with Turkmenistan, and India found an air corridor for a safe flight out. Indians were moved from Tehran to Qom and then to Mashhad, with the help of the Indian embassy and Iranian authorities. India's ties with Iran and Israel puts it in a delicate spot, where it has to do some diplomatic balancing act. Delhi has strategic stakes with Iran – from Chabahar port to shared concerns on Pakistan and Afghanistan. So, it has been very careful in its statements. It has a very strategic security and defence partnership with Israel as well. Shubhajit Roy, Diplomatic Editor at The Indian Express, has been a journalist for more than 25 years now. Roy joined The Indian Express in October 2003 and has been reporting on foreign affairs for more than 17 years now. Based in Delhi, he has also led the National government and political bureau at The Indian Express in Delhi — a team of reporters who cover the national government and politics for the newspaper. He has got the Ramnath Goenka Journalism award for Excellence in Journalism '2016. He got this award for his coverage of the Holey Bakery attack in Dhaka and its aftermath. He also got the IIMCAA Award for the Journalist of the Year, 2022, (Jury's special mention) for his coverage of the fall of Kabul in August 2021 — he was one of the few Indian journalists in Kabul and the only mainstream newspaper to have covered the Taliban's capture of power in mid-August, 2021. ... Read More
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
Navy personnel celebrate International Yoga Day on-board INS Vikramaditya
New Delhi [India], June 21 (ANI): The Indian Navy marked International Yoga Day 2025 by conducting a special yoga session on board the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. A video shared by the Navy showed personnel performing various yoga asanas on the ship's deck. Apart from this, 11,000 personnel from the Eastern Naval Command, along with their family members, performed yoga onboard Indian Navy ships and across the Vizag coastline. Eastern Naval Command is proud to join hands with YogAndhra 2025, a landmark initiative spearheaded by the Ministry of Ayush and the State Government of Andhra Pradesh, celebrating the International Day of Yoga in the coastal city of Visakhapatnam, an official statement from the Indian Navy said. Apart from this, the Indian Army also organised a yoga session at the world's highest battlefield, in Siachen. Multiple soldiers, veterans, families and children participated in the session. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in the 11th International Day of Yoga celebrations, where he hailed yoga as a gift 'beyond age' that transcends all boundaries and unites humanity in 'health and harmony.' The event took place against the scenic backdrop of the Visakhapatnam coastline, with Indian Navy ships stationed near the shore, adding to the grandeur of the celebrations. The Prime Minister praised the efforts of the Andhra Pradesh government and extended his appreciation to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan for hosting the event in Visakhapatnam. He lauded their leadership as 'inspiring' and described the state's initiative to promote yoga as 'commendable.' Over three lakh individuals joined him for a mass yoga session in the coastal city, reinforcing this year's message that 'yoga belongs to everyone' and brings the world together. The Prime Minister recalled India's initiative at the United Nations in 2014 to declare June 21 as International Yoga Day, a move that received wide global support in record time. (ANI)
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
Another flight brings back 290 Indians from Iran under Op Sindhu, total evacuated reaches 1,117
New Delhi [India], June 22 (ANI): Another special flight carrying 290 Indians stranded in conflict-hit Iran landed safely in New Delhi on Saturday night, bringing the total number of people evacuated under Operation Sindhu to 1,117. This marks the fifth batch of Indians evacuated from Iran as part of the ongoing operation. In a post on X, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated, 'Operation Sindhu gains momentum. 290 Indian nationals have returned home safely from Iran on a special flight from Mashhad that landed in New Delhi at 2330 hrs on 21 June 2025.' 'With this, 1,117 Indian nationals have been evacuated from Iran,' the MEA added. The evacuees, including students, shared their experiences of the tense situation in Iran and expressed deep gratitude to the Indian government and embassy officials. An Indian national from Bihar's Siwan, studying medicine at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, said, 'I am from Siwan, Bihar. I have been in Iran for the last 2 years. I study medicine at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The situation in Tehran is critical. Other places are normal. I am thankful to the government (for the evacuation).' Another evacuee, Naveed, a second-year MBBS student, added, 'I am from Kashmir. I am a 2nd-year MBBS student. I feel very good now. I am thankful to India. They evacuated us.' Describing the fear they faced, one evacuee said, 'I feel very good. There were missiles firing. We were feeling very afraid there. We were stuck there for 1 week.' Momin Ushtaq from Kashmir praised the government's efforts, saying, 'I am from Kashmir. The situation is not good there. We are very thankful to the government of India, Kashmir, and the Embassy. They deserve a special thanks, as they evacuated us and brought us back home.' Gratitude was also directed Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Parveen, another evacuee, said, 'I am very happy. I am thankful to PM Modi from the bottom of my heart. Our government helped us to get back here.' Indira Kumari added, 'We have returned. I am thankful to the Indian government and the Prime Minister of India.' Earlier on Saturday, a special flight from Mashhad carrying 310 Indian nationals landed in New Delhi at 4:30 PM. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes targeted a significant nuclear facility in Iran's Isfahan province, as reported by Al Jazeera. As per Al Jazeera, citing an Israeli military spokesperson, the air force struck the main complex as well as buildings involved in centrifuge production. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that a centrifuge manufacturing workshop was hit but clarified that no nuclear material was present at the site, so there were no radiological impacts. (ANI)
