While radical Islamic groups continue to remain a concern for the Indian security apparatus, it is these pro-Khalistan elements which have also become a nightmare
New Delhi, Sep 15: In yet another anti-India act from Canada, a temple in Toronto was vandalised. Anti-India slogans were scribbled by the Khalistani elements at the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Toronto.
The Indian High Commission in Canada has condemned the incident and said the authorities have been requested to investigate the incident and take prompt action against the perpetrators.
A video of the incident is doing the rounds on the social media. Many have posted strong comments while calling it a disgusting act.
Unprovoked defacement of #HinduTemple in Canada. Can @PierrePoilievre assure his Conservatives wouldn’t indulge in identity-politics? Can his deputy @TimUppal condemn this act unequivocally & assure that he’d not overlook Khalistan extremism when in power?pic.twitter.com/g5lyOILl4Y
— Puneet Sahani (@puneet_sahani) September 14, 2022
However this video comes as no surprise as the anti-India sentiment in Canada is a well known fact. "There is a small fringe group of pro-Khalistan elements in Canada who spread anti-India feelings through their extremist statements and activities," Minister of State for External Affairs, V Meraleedharan had told the Rajya Sabha in February.
In India-Canada friendship, Khalistan remains the sore point
While radical Islamic groups continue to remain a concern for the Indian security apparatus, it is these pro-Khalistan elements which have also become a nightmare. In the year 2021, the National Investigation Agency had widened the ambit of its probe in connection with the proscribed terror group, Sikhs for Justice or the SJF.
The NIA is also looking into the role of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) following the multiple incidents of targeted killings in Punjab. The probe revealed that Canada-based Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the chief of the KTF, and Navpreet Singh of the Khalistan Liberation Force are both in Canada. The NIA had found that both these persons were instrumental in spreading the Khalistan ideology in Punjab and also directing the killing of a select few people in the state.
Even in the Mohali RPG attack case, the probe found that the key conspirator Lakhvi Singh a resident of Tarn Taran had settled in Canada. He has been in Canada since 2017 and has been associated with Wadhwa Singh the chief of the Babbar Khalsa International.
An official tells OneIndia that Canada has been a hub for the members of several proscribed terror groups such as the Babbar Khalsa International, Khalistan Zindabad Force, Sikhs for Justice and Khalistan Tiger Force.
West's dubious stand on Khalistan is worrisome for India
It is from there that they liaison with the ISI in Pakistan and channelise funds in a bid to create unrest in India, the official cited said. These elements also used the farmers' protests and channelised money to fund acts of terror in India. The probe found that the funds had come in from Canada, US and UK.