Latest news with #Sikh
Hamilton Spectator
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Brampton mayor ‘cautiously optimistic' about Bishnoi gang terrorist designation
OTTAWA - Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said he's 'cautiously optimistic' about the chances of India's Lawrence Bishnoi gang being named as a terrorist group after meeting with Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree. Brown said he and representatives of Peel police met with the federal minister Wednesday after he asked police whether adding the Bishnoi gang to Ottawa's list of terrorist organizations would help with enforcement. British Columbia Premier David Eby sent a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier this week asking him to designate the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist organization — something the government did with seven other transnational criminal organizations earlier this year. Brown said Peel police told him a terrorist designation 'would be helpful' and that the gang is involved in 'serious criminal activity.' 'We're talking about extortions and murders in our region. I think (Anandasangaree) took it seriously. I'm cautiously optimistic that he's going to make this designation,' Brown said. Asked about Eby's request Wednesday, Anandasangaree said national security officials 'continuously' review whether criminal organizations meet the legal threshold to be named as terrorist groups. RCMP have alleged Indian diplomats shared information about Sikh separatists in Canada with the Indian government and that top Indian officials then passed the information to the Bishnoi gang. Brown said the gang has become more brazen in Brampton and local police have spotted vehicles with Bishnoi-affiliated decals in the Ontario city. 'They have over 700 shooters worldwide. They meet every threshold that is required to be designated as a terrorist organization,' he said. 'And if we can give police this tool to allow them to better combat this threat in Canada, I think that, you know, is a no-brainer.' The Criminal Code defines terrorist activity as a violent act that is, in whole or in part, committed for political, ideological or religious purposes and is meant to intimidate a segment of the public. Lawrence Bishnoi has been in an Indian prison since 2015 and has more than two dozen criminal cases pending against him. He has been accused of orchestrating violent acts of extortion while incarcerated, using a cellphone. The National Investigation Agency, India's counterterrorism agency, said in 2023 that Bishnoi ran his 'terror group from jails in different states' in India and through an associate in Canada. Once a group is listed as a terrorist entity in Canada, any property owned by the group can be frozen by the government and law enforcement can deploy additional tools to probe crimes associated with financing, travel and recruitment. 'If there was someone who came by with a decal on their car or on their jacket that was of Lawrence Bishnoi, and we have seen that, it would give the police tools to embark on an immediate investigation,' Brown said. 'So sometimes the judicial process, because you're seeking warrants or authorization, doesn't move as fast as required to deal with the agility of these criminal networks.' -With files from Fakiha Baig in Toronto This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Carney defends decision to restore diplomacy with India, calls it 'foundational'
OTTAWA — Reinstating key diplomats in Canada and India is a "foundational" step toward restoring the relationship between the two countries, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday. But Carney still refused to say whether he raised the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Alberta on Tuesday. Several Sikh organizations, including Sikhs for Justice, have called on the prime minister to be more transparent about what India is doing to co-operate with police investigations here, including the probe into the 2023 murder of Nijjar, a Sikh separatist activist. "I never make it a policy to give a line-by-line transcript readout of exactly what's said in a meeting, and I'm not about to start now," Carney told a press conference on Parliament Hill. Carney said he did talk about transnational repression with Modi and Canada has made it "very clear" that it won't be tolerated from any source. The prime minister also would not say what India has done since Canada expelled six top Indian diplomats in October in response to allegations that agents of India or their proxies engaged in violent crimes against Canadians, including murder, extortion and coercion. India also expelled six Canadian diplomats in October. Carney and Modi agreed in their meeting to appoint new high commissioners. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service identified India as one of the main drivers of foreign interference in its annual report, released publicly on Wednesday. Former prime minister Justin Trudeau and the RCMP have linked agents of the Indian government to Nijjar's murder. Former NDP leader Jagmeet Singh received a "duty to warn" from the RCMP in December 2023 about an imminent threat to his life. According to a recent Global News report, Singh was being followed by agents of the Indian government at the time. Carney said Thursday that exchanging high commissioners is a "basic, first step" in having a relationship with India. "There are very deep ongoing ties, people-to-people, certainly of Indo-Canadians but Canadians as a whole with India. We don't have a high commissioner in India right now. We're not serving Canadians in India right now because of where we are," he said. "So just having a basic level of engagement is in many respects a duty of the government. I'm glad we came to that agreement and understanding." Carney said this "understanding" is based on several factors, including law enforcement co-operation. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2025. David Baxter, The Canadian Press
Global News
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Global News
Brampton mayor ‘cautiously optimistic' about Bishnoi gang terrorist designation
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown says he's 'cautiously optimistic' about the chances of India's Lawrence Bishnoi gang being designated as a terrorist group after meeting with the public safety minister Wednesday night. Brown says that he and Peel region police officials met with Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree in Ottawa to discuss the 'scourge' of extortion and murders linked to the gang. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy RCMP have alleged Indian diplomats shared information about Sikh separatists in Canada with the Indian government and that top Indian officials then passed the information to the Bishnoi gang. Brown says that the gang has become more brazen in Brampton and local police have spotted vehicles with Bishnoi-affiliated decals. Anandasangaree said Wednesday morning that national security officials 'continuously' review whether criminal organizations meet the legal threshold to be named as a terrorist group. Story continues below advertisement BC Premier David Eby sent a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier this week asking that the Bishnoi gang be designated as a terrorist organization, as the government did with seven other transnational criminal organizations earlier this year.
Winnipeg Free Press
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Brampton mayor ‘cautiously optimistic' about Bishnoi gang terrorist designation
OTTAWA – Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown says he's 'cautiously optimistic' about the chances of India's Lawrence Bishnoi gang being designated as a terrorist group after meeting with the public safety minister Wednesday night. Brown says that he and Peel region police officials met with Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree in Ottawa to discuss the 'scourge' of extortion and murders linked to the gang. RCMP have alleged Indian diplomats shared information about Sikh separatists in Canada with the Indian government and that top Indian officials then passed the information to the Bishnoi gang. Brown says that the gang has become more brazen in Brampton and local police have spotted vehicles with Bishnoi-affiliated decals. Anandasangaree said Wednesday morning that national security officials 'continuously' review whether criminal organizations meet the legal threshold to be named as a terrorist group. B.C. Premier David Eby sent a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier this week asking that the Bishnoi gang be designated as a terrorist organization, as the government did with seven other transnational criminal organizations earlier this year. -With files from Darryl Dyck and Nono Shen. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2025.
Canada Standard
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Canada Standard
Small group of Khalistanis in Canada fund violence in India Ottawa
Canadian intelligence has said Sikh extremists use the country as a base to carry out anti-India activities A small number of Khalistani separatists in Canada continue to use the country as a base to fund political violence in India, the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) has said in a report. Khalistanis, or Sikh separatists, seek to carve out an ethno-religious country from the Indian state of Punjab. The movement for a nation of Khalistan reached its peak in India in the 1980s and has few backers in the country now. However, members of the Sikh diaspora have been trying to revive the movement in Canada. India and Canada disagree on the degree of the threat posed by Khalistani activists. "Some Canadians participate in legitimate and peaceful campaigning to support the Khalistan movement," the CSIS said in its report. "Non-violent advocacy for an independent state of Khalistan is not considered extremism." The Canadian intelligencereportadded: "Only a small group of individuals are considered Khalistani extremists because they continue to use Canada as a base for the promotion, fundraising or planning of violence primarily in India." The report reaffirmed allegations of an Indian government connection in the killing of prominent Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The agency claimed that India, along with Russia, China, Pakistan and Iran, are the "main perpetrators of foreign interference and espionage" against Canada. The report, which was presented in the Canadian Parliament last week, nearly coincided with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's talks with his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, where they agreed to improve diplomatic ties. Canada-India relations began to deteriorate after the 2023 G20 summit in New Delhi, where then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Modi only held informal talks, exchanging concerns over "anti-India activities" in the North American nation. Ties between the countries reached a low in October 2024 when Canadian officials accused Indian diplomats of targeting Sikh activists in Canada, leading to the mutual expulsion of diplomats. The CSIS report noted that in October 2024, Canadian investigators found evidence that linked agents of the Indian government and criminal networks to sow violent activity in South Asian communities in Canada. "Further, links between the Indian government and the Nijjar murder signals a significant escalation in India's repression efforts against the Khalistan movement and a clear intent to target individuals in North America," the report added. (
