The comments was made by MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a press briefing addressing the ongoing tension between New Delhi and Ottawa
India on Thursday claimed that New Delhi had requested the Canadian government to arrest members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, however, it stated that no action has been taken on “our core concerns.”
The comments was made by Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), during a press briefing addressing the ongoing tension between New Delhi and Ottawa.
“We had shared some requests with the Canadian side for the arrest of those from Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang. They haven’t taken any action on our core concerns. There is a political motive also behind this,” Jaiswal told the media.
#WATCH | MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, “We had shared some requests with the Canadian side for the arrest of those from Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang. They haven’t taken any action on our core concerns. There is a political motive also behind this.” pic.twitter.com/sK8dbQk13l— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2024
The comments from the MEA spokesperson also follow allegations from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) that the Bishnoi gang is linked to “agents” of the Indian government, specifically targeting the South Asian community and “pro-Khalistani elements” in Canada.
These remarks were made during a press conference by RCMP Commissioner Mike Duhene and his deputy, Brigitte Gauvin, in Ottawa on Monday.
“It has been publicly attributed and claimed by one organised crime group in particular which is the Bishnoi group here in Canada. We believe the group is connected to agents of the Government of India,” RCMP’s Gauvin has said.
On Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of violating his country’s sovereignty, as diplomatic tensions soar over the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year.
Ottawa has linked the Modi government to the killing of Nijjar, an advocate for an independent Sikh state who shot dead in June 2023 in the parking lot of a Sikh temple in Vancouver.
Trudeau alleged that the Lawrence Bishnoi crime syndicate was also involved in Nijjar’s killing.
“Canadians who are opponents of Modi government, their information was passed to the highest levels within the Indian government and then information directed through criminal organisations like the Lawrence Bishnoi gang (which) resulted in violence against Canadians on the ground,” Trudeau stated.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) have linked Lawrence Bishnoi to several crimes in India. He also has been named him in high-profile cases, including arms smuggling from Pakistan.
The NIA has claimed that Bishnoi was running an extortion syndicate with Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar, who has close ties to the pro-Khalistan terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).
(With inputs from agencies)
