Pro-Khalistan Activists Accused of Undermining Carney’s Effort to Reset Canada-India Ties
OTTAWA — As Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visits India in what is widely viewed as a pivotal diplomatic mission, a report alleges that a small but vocal pro-Khalistan extremist fringe in Canada is attempting to disrupt efforts to rebuild strained bilateral ties.
According to a report published by Khalsa Vox, Carney’s trip is aimed at expanding trade and strategic cooperation between Ottawa and New Delhi, with Canada seeking to more than double two-way trade with India to roughly $51 billion annually by 2030. The initiative is part of a broader strategy to reduce Canada’s economic dependence on the United States.
“The stakes could not be higher. Carney’s trip is designed to unlock new opportunities for Canadian workers and businesses across trade, energy, technology, and defence,” the report stated. It added that the agenda includes potential cooperation agreements spanning nuclear power, oil, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, quantum computing and education.
“This is not diplomacy for diplomacy’s sake. It is an economic lifeline-building. And yet, even as Carney works to reset relations poisoned by years of Trudeau-era tensions, extremist groups are doing their best to tear it down,” the report said.
The publication claims that protests in Canada have intensified in recent weeks, with supporters of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar allegedly staging demonstrations that included tearing and burning symbols associated with India and issuing threats against Carney. The report characterized such actions as deliberate attempts to interfere with diplomatic engagement.
It also cited protests during British Columbia Premier David Eby’s trade mission to India in January, when demonstrators reportedly waved Khalistan flags and called for his resignation, accusing him of prioritizing trade over “justice.”
The report alleges that organizations such as Sikhs for Justice — which it says has been flagged by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service for involvement in politically motivated violent extremism — have portrayed expanded economic cooperation with India as a betrayal, while offering no alternative policy path.
Indian officials have repeatedly described Khalistani extremism as a domestic issue for Canada to address, warning that progress in trade and diplomatic engagement depends on Ottawa demonstrating control over radical elements operating within its borders, the report said.
It argued that Canada cannot seek deeper trust from New Delhi while allowing fringe groups to target Indian symbols or intimidate diplomats on Canadian soil.
“The message to Canadian authorities must be equally clear: protect this diplomatic moment. Free speech ends where deliberate economic sabotage and intimidation of foreign diplomats begin. A handful of extremists should not be allowed to hold Canada’s prosperity hostage. The country’s future is being negotiated in New Delhi — and it deserves to succeed,” the report concluded. (Source: IANS)
