More than a dozen Canadian Sikhs live under active threats on their lives, an advocacy organization is warning.
“Those threats originate from India,” said Balpreet Singh, a lawyer and spokesperson for the World Sikh Organization.
The group argues it’s unconscionable for the federal government to invite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to next week’s G7 meeting.
Singh called for a series of actions to be taken against India at a news conference on Parliament Hill on Thursday alongside Moninder Singh, a spokesperson for the Sikh Federation (Canada).
The father of two said he’d been warned by law enforcement about threats on his life about a half-dozen times in the last few years.
Moninder Singh described leaving his home for months at a time, making arrangements with child protection services as well as the RCMP.
“You move around, constantly looking over your shoulder. You want to make sure that you’re not in overly public environments, where other people could be harmed,” said Moninder Singh.
“You can’t go to your kid’s school, you can’t go to their practices, you can’t go to family events. You avoid weddings, you avoid any type of family gatherings.”
Modi G7 invite sends message ‘our lives simply don’t matter’: Sikh organization
The two men said the Canadian government should not only rescind Modi’s invitation, but also launch a public inquiry specifically targeting Indian foreign interference and transnational repression in Canada, as well as cancel intelligence-sharing agreements between the two countries.
Earlier on Thursday, Global News cited confidential sources in reporting that former NDP leader Jagmeet Singh was targeted by a suspected Indian government agent in 2023, resulting in the leader getting police protection. The report says police no longer believe Singh is in imminent danger.
CBC News has not independently confirmed that story.
At the news conference, Moninder Singh said ending intelligence-sharing with India could make it harder for the country to surveil the NDP leader and Sikh activists.
Balpreet Singh said he’s heard the former NDP leader no longer has police protection, something he thinks is a mistake.
CBC News sent questions to the federal Public Safety Department as well as the RCMP for details on Sikhs who have been targeted, including Jagmeet Singh.
The government department deferred to the Mounties, which have yet to provide a statement.
“The idea to me that the leader of a Canadian political party could be targeted is such a clear indication of foreign interference,” said the NDP’s foreign affairs critic, Heather McPherson.
“To find out that Mr. Singh no longer has any sort of protection, when the threat is very real against him, it’s appalling.”
“All Canadians have the right to feel safe,” said Conservative MP Andrew Scheer, the interim Opposition leader.
Scheer said specific threats against a prominent Canadian who’s held public office is “something that our security officials should take very seriously.”
Liberal MP says Modi coming to Canada is ‘a bad idea’
The WSO’s Balpreet Singh said other Canadian Sikh politicians are afraid to criticize India out of fear for their and their loved ones’ safety. He declined to say which politicians have told him this.
“Imagine what that means to our democracy,” said McPherson.
Carney has said it makes sense to have the leader of the world’s most populous country around the table when there are “big challenges” to discuss.
Modi has been present at several recent G7 leaders’ summits. At last year’s event in Italy, he had a brief one-on-one with former prime minister Justin Trudeau.
A dozen members of Carney’s own caucus met him on Wednesday to raise their concerns about the decision, though many Liberals have also defended the invite.
Liberal MP Charles Sousa said Canadians are concerned about their position on the world stage.
“India makes sense to be part of a global discussion,” he said.
Canada-India relations have been on shaky ground since Trudeau and the RCMP alleged Indian agents were involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Canadian Khalistani separatist who was brazenly gunned down outside a Sikh temple in B.C. in 2023.
