Canada Made Attempts To De-Escalate Tensions: Report

Mumbai: In a bid to resolve a deepening rift with India, Canadian authorities offered several diplomatic de-escalation proposals to New Delhi, trying to end what Ottawa sees as a hostile campaign targeting Canadabased Sikh activists, sources reveal.

These efforts came after Canadian security agencies, led by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), alerted Ottawa in August toimminent threats against 13 Canadian citizens—predominantly pro-Khalistan activists seeking an independent Sikh homeland in India’s Punjab state.

According to a report in The Globe and Mail, the RCMP warned Canadian officials of the extent of threats and pressure faced by individuals in Canada connected to the Sikh separatist movement. This led the Canadian government to urgently address New Delhi. Sources briefed on the confidential exchanges indicate that Canada’s national security and intelligence adviser Nathalie Drouin and other senior officials urged Indian counterparts to pursue a cooperative resolution. However, during high-level meetings in Singapore on October 12, where Canadian representatives met with Ajit Doval, India’s National Security Advisor, Ottawas proposed de-escalation options were firmly rejected by New Delhi claimed the report. These options included Indin voluntarily withdrawing six diplomats suspected of involvement in allegedly intimidarting pro-Khalistani activists, expanding an existing inquiry into violence against Sikh activists in Canada, and cooperating on a high-level joint investigation into foreign interference in Canadian affairs.

Canada also proposed that New Delhi instruct gangster Lawrence Bishnoi— currently incarcerated but allegedly orchestrating operations from his prison cell—to halt his syndicate’s intimidation tactics in Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has since argued that these steps were necessary to address credible threats, citing extensive intelligence that allegedly implicates Indian officials in actions beyond mere intimidation said the report.

Earlier this month, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme spoke publicly on the issue, emphasising that Canada holds strong evidence—"not just intelligence”—implicating Indian diplomats and officials in violent acts in Canada. The RCMP claims that their evidence includes intercepted communications between Indian diplomats and criminal elements allegedly tied to top figures in the Indian government.

Diplomatic Fallout Reaches A Tipping Point

The diplomatic fallout reached a tipping point when Canada expelled six Indian diplomats on Thanksgiving Day, following New Delhi's refusal to pursue the proposed de-escalation route. In response, India immediately ordered the departure of six Canadian diplomats from India, heightening tensions and weakening diplomatic ties. The controversy intensified when Prime Minister Trudeau appeared before a parliamentary foreign interference commission, where he justified Canada’s actions, referring to “credible allegations” linking Indian agents to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Khalistani activist, in British Columbia in June 2023. Trudeau acknowledged that intelligence, rather than concrete evidence, formed the basis of his initial statements to the Canadian parliament regarding India’s involvement.