‘Safe Haven’ For Khalistani Extremists In Canada, CSIS Report Validates India’s Concerns: MEA Tells Parliament
A CSIS report validates India's concerns about Khalistani extremists using Canada for violent activities, External Affairs Minister confirmed ongoing dialogue with Canada
India’s long-standing concerns about Canada being exploited by Khalistani extremist groups have been validated by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) in its latest annual report. The 2024 report, released on 18 June 2025, acknowledges for the first time that Khalistani extremists are using Canadian territory to promote, fundraise, and plan violent activities aimed at India. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, said the report vindicates India’s position that anti-India separatist elements have been using Canada as a base of operations.
The report states, “Since the mid-1980s, the Politically Motivated Violent Extremism (PMVE) threat in Canada has manifested primarily through Canada-based Khalistani Extremists (CBKEs) seeking to use and support violent means to create an independent nation state called Khalistan, largely within Punjab, India.” It further warns that ongoing involvement of CBKEs in violent activities poses a national security threat to both Canada and Canadian interests.
"The report vindicates India’s concerns about Canada being used as a safe haven by anti-India separatist elements," Kirti Vardhan remarked.
In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, MoS MEA Kirti Vardhan Singh stated, "Prime Minister held a bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada. The leaders reaffirmed that India-Canada ties are based on shared… pic.twitter.com/rWADb6eNYz
— ANI (@ANI) July 24, 2025
PM Modi-Carney Dialogue on India-Canada Security Issues
In his reply, Singh detailed ongoing diplomatic engagement between the two nations, noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, on 17 June 2025.
“The leaders reaffirmed that India-Canada ties are based on shared democratic values, respect for the rule of law, and commitment to upholding the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. They also underlined the need to pursue a constructive and balanced partnership grounded in respect for mutual concerns and sensitivities,” Singh said.
Both sides emphasised the importance of restarting senior ministerial and working-level engagements across various domains, including security-related matters, to rebuild trust and bring momentum to the relationship.
Canada-India Relations on the Mend
Earlier, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed during a press briefing on 18 July, as reported by ANI, that both nations are working towards redeploying High Commissioners in each other’s capitals — a move viewed as a critical step in normalising relations.
“We had the meeting at the Prime Minister level in Kananaskis, where both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the importance of India-Canada ties and to rebuild these ties. We are working; both sides are now working towards it. We are also working to get High Commissioners deployed in the two capitals. We are positive about the movement in India-Canada ties,” Jaiswal said.
Bilateral relations had deteriorated in 2023 following former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s claim of “credible allegations” of Indian involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia. India dismissed the allegations as “absurd” and “motivated,” leading to reciprocal expulsion of diplomats, including the High Commissioners.
With Carney now leading the Canadian government, both sides have signalled a willingness to reset ties. The MEA has confirmed that dialogue will resume across trade, clean energy, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, food security, and critical minerals, alongside coordinated efforts to counter extremism.
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