Khalistanis in Canada Have Made Khalistan a Business: Sanjay Verma

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 25th Oct. Sanjay Verma, India’s recalled envoy to Canada, made serious allegations on Thursday regarding the activities of hard-line Khalistani elements in Canada. Verma claimed that these groups are involved in human trafficking and gun running, accusing them of collecting money through gurdwaras to fund criminal activities. “Just a handful, about 10,000 people, of Sikhs in Canada are hard-line Khalistanis, they have made Khalistan a business,” Verma said.

Verma also sharply criticized the Canadian government for its handling of diplomatic relations, calling it the “most unprofessional” approach. “This is the pits,” he said in an interview with PTI. His comments follow a significant strain in Indo-Canadian relations after Verma was declared a “person of interest” by Canada in its investigation into the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen labeled a Khalistani terrorist by India. India recalled Verma and five other diplomats before Canada could take further action.

Verma described the Khalistani supporters as a “very small” group, but emphasized that they “shout the loudest” and have gained political backing in Canada. He also accused these groups of intimidating other Sikhs by threatening their families.

In a striking claim, Verma noted that India had provided the names of criminals like Goldie Brar and Lawrence Bishnoi to Canada, but alleged that Brar’s name was inexplicably removed from Canada’s wanted list. “We have never done anything covert. Canada has not shared a shred of evidence,” he said during the interview.

When asked about India’s assertion that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is promoting terrorism, Verma suggested that inaction against extremists could be seen as tacit encouragement. He argued that Trudeau’s inaction may be politically motivated, either for vote-bank considerations or other reasons, emboldening these criminal elements to attack India’s interests.

In a previous interview with Canadian broadcaster CTV, Verma had criticized Trudeau for damaging Indo-Canadian ties, stating that evidence should have been shared before making public accusations. He also pointed out what he called Western hypocrisy, emphasizing that the era of developed nations dictating terms to developing countries is over.