At least nine separatist organisations supporting terror groups
have their bases in Canada and despite multiple deportation requests Ottawa has
taken no action against those involved in heinous crimes, including the killing
of popular Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, said officials.
Separatist outfits such as the World Sikh Organization (WSO),
Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and Babbar Khalsa
International (BKI), working at the behest of Pakistan, have been allegedly
operating freely from the Canadian soil, they said.
Allegations levelled against India by the Canadian authorities and
politicians in relation to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a separatist terrorist
and Canadian citizen, are incorrect and based on unsubstantiated assumptions,
they added.
The issue of deportations of wanted terrorists and gangsters have
been raised by the Indian authorities at multiple diplomatic and security talks
but the Canadian authorities remained non-committal and brazen in support of
these terror elements, the officials said.
Multiple dossiers have been handed over to the Canadian side but
India’s deportation requests have gone unaddressed, they said, adding at least
nine separatist organisations supporting terror groups have found their bases
in Canada.
Eight individuals involved in terror activities and as many
gangsters, who have been conspiring with Pakistan’s spy agency ISI, have found
a safe haven in Canada, said the officials.
Deportation requests for these people, including Gurwant Singh, who
was involved in terrorist activities in early 1990s, have been pending with the
Canadian authorities for years now, they said. An Interpol Red Corner Notice is
also pending against him.
The officials said the Indian authorities had requested for the
deportation of Gurpreet Singh, who is also involved in terror cases, and
provided his Canadian address but no action was taken.
They said the request for deportation of dreaded gangsters
including Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dalla, wanted in 16 criminal cases,
Satinderjit Singh Brar alias Goldy Brar, who took responsibility for killing of
famous Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, had been submitted with evidence
against them but no action was taken by the Canadian Government.
The separatist organisation were openly issuing assassination
threats, fuelling separatist agenda and carrying out targeted killings in
India, they said.
They pointed out that high-profile assassination of popular singer
Sidhu Moose Wala by the Canada-based gangster with affiliations to separatist elements
“is a classic example of this”.
Other Canada-based wanted terrorists are Gurwant Singh Bath of the
Dashmesh regiment of Khalistan, Bhagat Singh Brar (who is son of Pakistan-based
terrorist Lakhbeer Singh Rhode), Moninder Singh Bual, Satinder Pal Singh Gill,
they said.
Nijjar, who carried a cash reward of ₹ 10 lakh, was born in Punjab
on November 10, 1977 and was affiliated with the now banned Khalistan Tiger
Force (KTF).
He was arrested in the mid 1990s and managed to get bail and fled
India on February 19, 1997 by assuming a fake identity of Ravi Sharma and
securing a travel document in that name.
In 2013-14, Nijjar visited Pakistan where he met Jagtar Singh Tara
of KTF, wanted in assassination of Punjab former Chief Minister Beant Singh.
He was during that period roped in by the ISI which helped him in
organising secret training camps for Sikh extremist groups associated with the
Khalistan movement in Missigen Hills, British Columbia.
Nijjar, who was designated as a terrorist by the Union Home
Ministry, was also accused of working closely with Babbar Khalsa International led
by Jagtar Singh Tara.
He has been associated with Dal Khalsa leader Gajender Singh, a key
accused in hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight in 1981.
His name figured in the most wanted list handed over by then Punjab
Chief Minister Captain Amrinder Singh to the Canadian Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau in 2018.
Nijjar along with criminals like Arsh Dalla were generating huge
amounts of funds for anti-India activities by various means which included drug
money and finances from Gurdwaras, the officials said.
They said Canada’s current diplomatic standoff with India appears
to be motivated by failures on the domestic political front and declining
popularity of the present government and expulsion of an Indian diplomat seems
to be aimed at getting support of the Sikh population especially those
harbouring pro-Khalistan sentiments.
The officials also pointed out that support for extremist elements
and gangsters in Canada are deeply linked with the political realities that
influence the vote bank in various Sikh dominated constituencies.
They pointed to the role of Jagmeet Singh Dhaliwal, an MP from
Burnaby South, who belongs to the New Democratic Party of Canada which has been
a vocal supporter of the Khalistan referendum that seeks a Balkanisation of
India and fuels separatist sentiments amongst Canadian Sikhs.
PTI
