RCMP chief: No current evidence links India to transnational repression in Canada

New Delhi: Canada's top police official has indicated a significant shift in the country's assessment of alleged Indian government involvement in so-called transnational repression, stating that current investigations show no links to any foreign entity, including India. In an exclusive interview with Canada's CTV News, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme said: “In the files that we have that involve transnational repression, we’re not seeing any connection right now with any foreign entity, based on the criminal information, the investigations that we have presently.”

He added, “I’m saying that based on the totality of the files that we have on foreign interference or transnational repression, what we have in our holdings is we have people that are intimidating people, harassing people, but connecting the dots to a foreign entity, regardless of the country, we don’t have that.”

The comments mark a notable departure from earlier positions. In 2023, then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced “credible allegations” of potential links between what he termed as "agents" of the Indian government and the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani extremist. The Canadian national was a listed terrorist in India and was shot dead outside a gurdwara in British Columbia in June 2023.

The allegations triggered a major diplomatic crisis. India rejected the accusations as baseless. The development led to a near-freeze in relations, including suspended trade talks and reduced diplomatic presence.

Under Prime Minister Mark Carney, who succeeded Trudeau in 2025, Ottawa has pursued a pragmatic reset. High commissioners were reinstated, visa services restored, and high-level engagements resumed, including meetings at the G7 and G20 summits. In early 2026, the two countries announced a “renewed strategic partnership,” launching negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement aimed at doubling bilateral trade to $50 billion by 2030. They also signed deals on nuclear energy cooperation, including long-term uranium supply arrangements, alongside commitments to collaborate in technology, clean energy, and critical minerals.