Amid escalating diplomatic tensions between India and Canada over the homicide of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) seems to have scored a spectacular personal aim.
Throughout a information convention on Monday (native time), the RCMP mentioned its investigation into Nijjar’s homicide revealed hyperlinks between Indian authorities brokers and “homicides and violence” in Canada. It additionally alleged that these brokers had been coercing and threatening companies and people in Canada’s South Asian diaspora.
However the true leisure started when a journalist requested for clarification, asking if the alleged “transnational repression, overseas interference and arranged crime” particularly focused the Canadian Sikh group.
“So, sure, I imply, (India) is concentrating on the South Asian group,” stammered RCMP Deputy Commissioner Brigitte Gauvin, earlier than including, “however what we have seen is that they are particularly concentrating on professional parts. -Khalistan in Canada.”
It was a revealing slip.
The journalist went on to ask if Sikhs not related to the Khalistan motion have been additionally being focused.
Gauvin, clearly conscious of the quagmire, backtracked and declined to supply particular particulars to “protect the integrity” of the continuing investigation.
Nonetheless, the deputy commissioner insisted that organized crime teams, notably the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, have been on the middle of this alleged intrigue, working with brokers allegedly related to the Indian authorities.
“What we now have seen is that, from the RCMP’s perspective, they use organized crime parts. This has been publicly attributed and claimed by one organized crime group particularly: Bishnoi Group. We imagine the group is related to authorities brokers of India,” he mentioned, though the proof to substantiate these daring claims was conspicuously absent.