Ottawa [Canada]: Canadian Member of Parliament Chandra Arya addressed the issue of Khalistani extremism in Canada, acknowledging that the administration has long recognised the severity of this problem.
He further said that Canada’s sovereignty is “sacrosanct” and any interference by foreign state actors within Canada, in any form is “unacceptable.”
In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, Arya said, “Two weeks back, I could safely participate in a Hindu event in Edmonton only with the protection of RCMP officers, as a group of Khalistani protesters staged a disruptive demonstration against me.”
He added, “In Canada, we have long recognised and experienced the serious problem of Khalistani extremism. Let me be clear. The sanctity of Canadian sovereignty is sacrosanct and any interference by foreign state actors within Canada, in any form, is unacceptable.”
Arya emphasised that Khalistani violent extremism is a pressing concern within Canada, and urged the law enforcement agencies to tackle the issue with utmost seriousness.
“Khalistani violent extremism is a Canadian problem and RCMP has said the national task force is focused on investigating it. We know that extremism and terrorism don’t recognize and are not limited to national borders. I call on our law enforcement agencies to take this issue with all the seriousness it demands,” the Canadian MP said.
Notably, the ties between India and Canada soured after Trudeau alleged in the Canadian Parliament last year that he has “credible allegations” of India’s hand in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
India has denied all the allegations, calling them “absurd” and “motivated” and has accused Canada of giving space to extremist and anti-India elements in their country.
Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by India’s National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot and killed outside a Gurdwara in Surrey in June last year.
The recent diplomatic row erupted when Canada labelled India’s High Commissioner and other diplomats as “persons of interest” in the investigation of Nijjar’s death.