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Gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi at a court in New Delhi, April, 2023. The group is known for acts of extortion, drug trafficking, violence and murder.ANI/Supplied
India declined to comment Tuesday on Canada’s listing of the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity, as New Delhi and Ottawa continue a wary rapprochement after years of strained ties.
Dhruv Mishra, the undersecretary of public relations for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, said the government would have no comment until Friday at the earliest. India’s High Commission in Ottawa also declined to comment.
Canadian police have linked the Bishnoi gang to elements of India’s intelligence services, though New Delhi has always denied any connection to the organization, which is notorious for acts of extortion, drug trafficking, violence and murder.
In announcing the gang’s designation as a terrorist entity Monday, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said “specific communities have been targeted for terror, violence and intimidation by the Bishnoi gang. Listing this group of criminal terrorists gives us more powerful and effective tools to confront and put a stop to their crimes.”
The designation means anything owned by that group in Canada, including property, vehicles and money, can be seized or frozen.
Canada lists India’s Bishnoi Gang as terrorist entity
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and premiers David Eby of British Columbia and Danielle Smith of Alberta have long called on Ottawa to list the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity because of the fear it has created among Indo-Canadians. Members of Canada’s Sikh community have accused New Delhi of using the gang to target supporters of the separatist Khalistan movement.
Monday’s announcement follows a meeting between Canadian national security and intelligence adviser Nathalie Drouin and her Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval, in New Delhi to re-establish lines of communication and co-operation on security and law-enforcement issues.
Ms. Drouin described the meeting as “highly productive” and said India was “absolutely” co-operating on Canadian investigations such as the one involving the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C., in 2023.
Then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly accused India of playing a role in Mr. Nijjar’s death, plunging relations with New Delhi into a deep freeze.
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It is not known whether Ms. Drouin gave Mr. Doval a heads-up about Ottawa’s plans to list the gang as a terrorist entity, but Dan Stanton, a former senior manager at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, said he suspected New Delhi “has thrown Bishnoi under the bus” in a bid to improve ties with Canada.
“While we regard Bishnoi as facilitators of state terrorism, the Indian government sees them as criminals and someone else’s problem,” he said.
K.P. Fabian, a former high-level Indian diplomat in Canada, welcomed the development. He told The Globe and Mail that Mr. Trudeau’s linking of New Delhi to the Nijjar killing “was not good diplomacy.”
“I’m not taking a position on whether India was involved or not – the Canadian court will give the judgment and we will see what it is,” Mr. Fabian said. “But it triggered an unfortunate conflict between India and Canada. That is now being reversed with the new Prime Minister. It is in the best interests of both Canada and India to maintain good relations. I imagine the Ministry of External Affairs would welcome the development as well.”
Canada, India appoint new envoys in sign of improving relations
Ties between India and Canada have rapidly improved since Mark Carney succeeded Mr. Trudeau earlier this year. In June, Mr. Carney met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alta., where both leaders agreed to restore diplomatic operations that had been frozen since 2023.
India’s new high commissioner presented his credentials to Governor-General Mary Simon last week, while Canada’s embassy in New Delhi is preparing to welcome several new staff to replace expelled diplomats. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, who is expected to visit India in October, met with her Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly this week.
“The appointment of High Commissioners is welcome as we rebuild ties,” Mr. Jaishankar wrote on social media Monday. “Discussed further steps in that regard today.”
With reports from Robert Fife and Steven Chase in Ottawa
