Chandigarh, Updated At : 02:30 PM Apr 02, 2026 IST
Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has appeared to change its public stance on the role of foreign states in harassment and intimidation cases in Canada, moving from denial of links to acknowledging foreign involvement.
On March 19, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme told CTV News that in files related to transnational repression and foreign interference, “we’re not seeing any connection right now with any foreign entity,” and that investigators could not yet “connect the dots to a foreign entity.” Days later, on April 1, the RCMP issued a clarification saying it was “aware of complaints of intimidation and harassment against certain communities across Canada” and that the force and the Government of Canada “are also aware that foreign states are engaging in such activities in Canada.” The statement added that “establishing a direct link to a foreign entity with information that can be disclosed in a criminal proceeding is a complex process.”
The shift follows long-running tensions between Canada and India after the 2023 killing of pro-Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. Canadian authorities, including the RCMP, have alleged possible involvement of Indian agents or proxies in violence and extortion aimed at Sikh separatist figures in Canada, and Ottawa focused on the India-based Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a purported proxy network. Canada designated the Bishnoi network as a terrorist entity in September 2025. New Delhi has consistently rejected allegations of state involvement as baseless and politically motivated, and has urged Canada to take action against Khalistani extremists on Canadian soil while pressing for extradition requests related to the Bishnoi network.
Commissioner Duheme has also said some extortion threats may have come from “copycats” invoking the Bishnoi name without real links. Observers in New Delhi have taken the RCMP’s later clarification as a positive sign as the two countries work to mend relations.
Bilateral ties have been steadily rebuilt since the 2025 downturn: high commissioners were reinstated in September 2025, national security and foreign ministers held high-level talks, and an October 2025 joint statement set out a “New Roadmap” for cooperation on trade, security and respect for sovereignty. Momentum continued with a Leaders’ Statement on March 2, 2026, signalling commitment to stronger ties and advancement toward a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
