Canada labels India’s Bishnoi gang as ‘terrorist’ organisation

The determination volition alteration plus seizures and prosecutions of Bishnoi gang, which has been accused of targeting Sikh activists abroad.

Canada has formally declared India’s Bishnoi pack a “terrorist” organisation, giving authorities the powerfulness to frost assets, artifact funding, and prosecute members nether “anti-terrorism” laws.

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree announced the designation connected Monday, saying the pack had instilled fearfulness wrong Indian diaspora communities crossed the country.

“Specific communities person been targeted for terror, unit and intimidation by the Bishnoi Gang. Listing this radical of transgression terrorists gives america much almighty and effectual tools to face and enactment a halt to their crimes,” said Anandasangaree.

Ottawa stressed that “acts of unit and panic person nary spot successful Canada, particularly those that people circumstantial communities to make a clime of fearfulness and intimidation.”

The gang, tally by jailed Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, is described by Canadian officials arsenic a transnational transgression syndicate operating mostly from India but with a beingness successful Canada.

Bishnoi, 32, has been imprisoned for a decennary successful India but is accused of directing a web of hundreds of members engaged successful cause trafficking, arms smuggling, extortion, and targeted killings.

Canadian constabulary person antecedently alleged that Indian quality services utilized Bishnoi associates to transportation retired killings and convulsive intimidation of supporters of the Khalistan movement, which seeks an autarkic authorities for the Sikh number successful the Indian authorities of Punjab, abroad.

India dismissed the claims, accusing Ottawa of failing to supply grounds and of ignoring repeated extradition requests for Bishnoi-linked suspects.

The Canadian authorities says the “terrorist” listing not lone allows spot and funds tied to the pack to beryllium seized but besides strengthens instrumentality enforcement’s quality to disrupt recruitment, financing, and planetary question linked to the gang’s operations.

Political unit has been mounting connected Ottawa, with absorption leaders and provincial premiers successful Alberta and British Columbia demanding tougher measures against the gang. Canada is location to much than 770,000 Sikhs, accounting for astir 2 percent of Canada’s population.

‘A beardown awesome to India’

The Bishnoi gang’s notoriety has grown amid wider diplomatic tensions betwixt Ottawa and New Delhi. The assassination of Sikh activistic Hardeep Singh Nijjar extracurricular a Vancouver-area gurdwara successful June 2023 threw the contented into crisp relief.

Canada accused Indian officials of directing quality to “criminal organisations similar the Lawrence Bishnoi gang” to soundlessness critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s authorities overseas – an allegation India rejected.

New Delhi insists Ottawa has ignored much than 2 twelve extradition requests for Bishnoi members and continues to shield individuals wanted for crimes successful India.

Despite the heavy rift, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s nationalist information adviser, Nathalie Drouin, said past week that Indian officials had pledged to cooperate successful ongoing investigations and agreed to refrain from cross-border repression.