Justin Trudeau of Canada claims a connection between Indian diplomats and the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, stating they are ‘collecting information on…’

Justin Trudeau testified before a public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada’s federal electoral processes and democratic institutions. On Wednesday, he alleged that Indian diplomats were gathering information on Canadians who oppose the Narendra Modi government and relaying this information to high-level officials and criminal organizations, such as the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang is notorious for assassinations and extortion in India. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has suggested that this gang may have been involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The RCMP identified the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as an organized crime entity used by India to target members of the South Asian diaspora and Sikh separatists.

India has firmly rejected claims by Canadian authorities attempting to link Indian agents to criminal gangs operating in Canada. Official sources within the Indian government stated that Canada's assertion of having shared evidence with New Delhi regarding the Nijjar case is “simply not true.”

Trudeau accused India of violating Canada's sovereignty, amid rising diplomatic tensions over Nijjar's killing in Vancouver in 2023. During the parliamentary inquiry, he characterized the actions of Indian representatives as broad efforts to silence critics of Modi's government in Canada, as reported by the AFP news agency.

Trudeau explained that Indian diplomats were allegedly collecting information on Canadians who oppose or disagree with the Modi government. He claimed this information was passed to the highest levels of the Indian government and, subsequently, to criminal organizations like the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, leading to violence against Canadians.

Furthermore, Trudeau stated that the intimidation tactics employed by India in Canada were not limited to the Sikh community. He noted that his government could have made these allegations public when India hosted the G20 Summit in September 2023 but chose not to. During the summit, he met with Modi to express his concerns privately.

“It was a significant moment for India, welcoming world leaders to New Delhi for an important summit. We had the option to make it uncomfortable for India by going public with these allegations beforehand,” Trudeau explained. “Instead, we opted to work behind the scenes to encourage cooperation from India.”

Upon returning home, Trudeau found that India's response, particularly through the media, involved attacks on Canada. He later brought the allegations to Parliament, suggesting that the Indian government may have been involved in Nijjar's killing.

On Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in India stated that what they had heard from Trudeau “only confirms” New Delhi's consistent stance: Canada has “presented us with no evidence” supporting the serious allegations made against India and its diplomats.

Trudeau acknowledged that he only had intelligence and no “hard evidentiary proof” when he claimed that Indian government agents were involved in Nijjar's killing. In response to media inquiries regarding Trudeau's testimony, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal issued a statement: “What we have heard today only confirms our consistent assertion that Canada has presented us with no evidence whatsoever in support of the serious allegations it has leveled against India and Indian diplomats.”

The ministry also stated, “The responsibility for the damage caused to India-Canada relations lies solely with Prime Minister Trudeau.”