Canada: Sikh Politician calls for RSS ban, diplomatic sanctions on India amid rising tensions
Ottawa: Amid growing diplomatic tensions between India and Canada following the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Canadian New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh on Monday urged the Canadian government to impose diplomatic sanctions on India and ban the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) network in Canada. Singh, a former ally of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, expressed deep concerns for the safety of the Sikh community in Canada and backed the expulsion of Indian diplomats.
In a statement, Singh called for decisive action, stating, “We support today’s decision to expel India’s diplomats and we’re calling on the Government of Canada to put diplomatic sanctions against India in place, ban the RSS network in Canada, and commit to pursuing severe consequences for anyone involved in organised criminal activity on Canadian soil.”
Singh's comments followed the release of a report by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), which highlighted growing threats, harassment, and violence faced by the Sikh community. The report outlined critical issues, including violent extremism, potential links between Indian government agents and homicides, and interference in Canada's democratic processes.
Singh also alleged that Canada has credible evidence linking Indian officials to Nijjar’s assassination. He stressed the need for accountability, emphasising that multiple individuals had been indicted by the United States for related crimes. Singh further claimed that 13 people in Canada had received warnings of serious threats to their lives since September 2023.
Nijjar, labelled a terrorist by India's National Investigation Agency in 2020, was killed outside a gurdwara in Surrey, Canada, in June 2023.
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Bypolls | Congress candidate Yasir Khan Pathan wins in Shiggaon
Bengaluru: Congress has taken the lead in all three Assembly constituencies where by-elections were held in the state. Among these, Congress has secured victories in the Sandur and Shiggaon constituencies. However, the official announcement from the Election Commission is awaited.
In the Shiggaon Assembly constituency, Yasir Khan Pathan has achieved a resounding victory against Bharath Bommai, the son of former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. With this win, Congress has taken control of a constituency that was previously under BJP's hold.
In Sandur, Congress candidate Annapoorna Tukaram has defeated BJP's Bangaru Hanumanthu, reclaiming the Sandur constituency for Congress.
