OTTAWA – A senior government official asserted Wednesday that Canada believes India has ceased clandestine operations targeting individuals within Canada, a significant shift in tone on the eve of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s planned visit to Mumbai and New Delhi.
The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity at a press briefing, stated that Canada is “confident that that activity is not continuing,” referring to the alleged targeting of activists linked to the Khalistan movement. This assessment marks the first indication from the government that India has halted the activities Canada previously linked to the June 2023 murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Sikh leader shot dead in Surrey, British Columbia.
When pressed for specifics, the official declined to elaborate, stating, “I really don’t believe we’d be taking this trip if we thought these kind of activities would continue.”
Canadian national security agencies have alleged that India initiated a campaign in 2022 to suppress activists in North America who advocate for Khalistan, a separate state for Sikhs in India’s Punjab region. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) investigation into Nijjar’s death has implicated individuals linked to the Indian government, including alleged ties to gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi, who authorities believe was contracted to carry out the murder.
Following the allegations, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats. However, Prime Minister Carney has since prioritized restoring and strengthening ties with India, seeking a trade agreement as a counterbalance to increasing tariffs imposed by the United States. According to a statement released February 23, Carney will travel to India, Australia, and Japan from February 26 to March 7, 2026, to “unlock new opportunities for Canadian workers and businesses.”
The assertion of halted operations comes amidst ongoing concerns about the safety of Sikh Canadians. Just last weekend, Vancouver police warned Moninder Singh, a Sikh activist, of an imminent threat to himself, his wife, and their children – the fourth such warning he has received since 2022.
The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) swiftly denounced the government official’s comments as “utterly false,” stating they “do not align with what Sikh Canadians are experiencing on the ground.” The WSO cited ongoing reports of surveillance, harassment, and intimidation by alleged agents of the Indian government. “The Carney government has failed to hold India accountable or to create any meaningful safeguards to ensure that Sikh Canadians are protected from foreign interference and transnational repression,” the organization said in a statement.
The senior government official declined to specify when Canada believed India ceased its alleged campaign of transnational repression and foreign interference. “We have a mature, robust discussions with the government of Indian on these issues. And we have robust safeguards in place to avoid foreign interference,” the official said. “I can’t give you a specific date of which individuals changed views. We’ve got a systematic engagement with the government in India, at senior officials level, at the ministerial level, at the leader level. And these issues have been raised regularly. And we are confident that we have the basis for further productive discussion.”
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt will accompany Prime Minister Carney to India, though only Moe will join Carney for meetings in both Mumbai and New Delhi. Holt will only participate in meetings in Mumbai.