鶹ý

Politics

    • U.K. calls for India co-operation in probe, analyst warns allies might limit response

    Share
    OTTAWA -

    The British government says India should co-operate with Canada's investigation into accusations that New Delhi has been involved in an escalating number of violent crimes in Canada, as an analyst warns that strategic interests might limit how allies respond to the bombshell claims.

    Meanwhile, members of Parliament are likely to look into how Ottawa can best respond to the allegations, with the four major political parties requesting an emergency meeting.

    The federal government expelled six Indian diplomats on Monday after the RCMP said it had credible evidence that Indian agents played a role in extortion, coercion and murder of Canadian citizens on Canadian soil. India declined to waive diplomatic immunity for the six diplomats to answer RCMP questions related to the investigation.

    Canadian authorities say Indian officials had gathered information that led to criminal organizations targeting Khalistan separatists, who advocate for a Sikh homeland to be carved out of India.

    Sushant Singh, a Yale University lecturer specializing in India's foreign policy, says Khalistan separation is particularly sensitive for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, though the movement largely reaching a peak in the 1980s.

    That's despite Modi's fury that groups in Canada have organized referendums for separation, and that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed concerns about 2020 protests by farmers in India that included many Sikhs.

    "There's no threat, really," Singh said of actions by Canadian citizens and officials regarding the Khalistan issue. "We have scarcely seen any impact in India."

    He said it was notable that Canadian officials said they had tried to raise their concerns about escalating violence linked to India at the highest levels, with little success.

    "The Indian side did not care enough to really respond to whatever evidence was presented to them," he said. "If we go by what the Canadian version is, then very clearly there is little choice left for them but to raise the stakes."

    Singh isn't sure how much other countries will back Canada because many of Ottawa's allies see New Delhi as their best hope of having influence in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly as they grow increasingly at odds with China.

    The U.K. foreign ministry said Wednesday that it's in contact with Ottawa about Monday's "serious developments" and it argues that India's co-operation with Canada's legal process "is the right next step."

    On Tuesday, a U.S. State Department spokesman told a news conference that the U.S. had long been asking India to co-operate with Canadian authorities, but he stopped short of commenting on the substance of the new claims.

    New Zealand has only said that the allegations are concerning and that it will await the judicial process, in a statement that did not mention India.

    Singh said U.S. President Joe Biden has taken a strategic approach to handling an unsealed New York indictment, which alleges an Indian government employee had directed an attempted assassination in the United States. Washington has welcomed an inquiry committee from India this week to discuss the case.

    "Many people believe that the current U.S. administration, the Biden administration, in trying to look at the larger strategic picture, which is vis-a-vis China and the Indo-Pacific, has overlooked important transactional aspects and red lines which should not be crossed," he said.

    "I think its response with respect to Canada should be seen in light of that."

    Singh pointed out that the New York case echoes Canada's claims in saying Indian agents relied on criminal gangs to commit the alleged acts.

    Trudeau announced in September 2023 that Canadian intelligence services were investigating credible information about a potential link between India's government and the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh activist, in Surrey, B.C.

    Trudeau told a federal inquiry into foreign interference Wednesday that Canada's official position has always been to respect India's territorial sovereignty.

    In his testimony, Trudeau said Modi expressed concerns about pro-Khalistan sentiments in Canada after he confronted the Indian prime minister about Nijjar's killing.

    Trudeau offered to work with India in cases of terrorism but said Canadians also have the right to freedom of expression.

    "My position and Canada's position is to defend the territorial integrity of India," Trudeau told the commission.

    "One India is official Canadian policy, and the fact that there are a number of people in Canada who advocate otherwise does not make it Canadian policy, but also does not make it something that is illegal in Canada."

    MPs signed a joint letter Tuesday calling for the House public safety committee to have at least one meeting to discuss "steps that could be taken by the government to protect Canadians."

    The MPs cite a parliamentary rule that would require a meeting be held within five days of the clerk receiving the letter. The committee must issue a notice two days before the meeting. The House of Commons is not sitting this week, but MPs can attend committee meetings virtually and call for witnesses.

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.

    -- With files from Laura Osman

    IN DEPTH

    Opinion

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

    When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    Mounties have released startling new details about their investigation into the disappearance of Amber Manthorne, who was reported missing on Vancouver Island more than two years ago, and is believed to have met with foul play.

    Canada

    • A Manitoba professor is warning the public after a book on regional mushrooms that he suspects is AI-generated was delisted from Amazon.

    • A former sergeant with the Canadian Armed Forces is suing the federal government for nearly $3 million, alleging unfair treatment after he reported the killing and targeting of civilians during the war in Afghanistan.

    • Mounties have released startling new details about their investigation into the disappearance of Amber Manthorne, who was reported missing on Vancouver Island more than two years ago, and is believed to have met with foul play.

    • Donald Musselman, the convicted killer of Ottawa hip hop artist Markland Campbell, has died in custody, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) announced Wednesday.

    • The Department of National Defence confirms unexploded bombs from the Second World War lie buried inside the Mer Bleue Bog, a popular hiking and skiing area in Ottawa’s east end.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    An Ottawa man was arrested after taking a shower in a stranger's house, Ottawa police say.

    Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) Chef Paul Natrall, the man behind Indigenous food truck Mr. Bannock, is bringing cooking classes on First Nations fare to schools and offices throughout Metro Vancouver.

    The Celtic Colours Festival is taking place at venues around Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia from Oct. 11 to 19.

    Sometimes love is written in the stars, but for one couple, it’s written in the aurora borealis.

    Canadian hip hop artist Dillan King says running 100 marathons in 100 days was not only the hardest thing he has ever done, but the 'proudest accomplishment' of his entire life.

    James Taylor never expected to be walking home with a bag full of groceries he didn't buy.

    This weekend marks the fifth anniversary of a large blizzard that paralyzed Manitoba.

    There was an eye-catching mix of rainbows and lightning over Vancouver following a brief downpour this week.

    Jeff Warner from Aidie Creek Gardens in the northern Ontario community of Englehart has a passion for growing big pumpkins and his effort is paying off in more ways than one.

    • Mounties have released startling new details about their investigation into the disappearance of Amber Manthorne, who was reported missing on Vancouver Island more than two years ago, and is believed to have met with foul play.

    • Authorities are asking witnesses to come forward following a head-on crash that closed the George Massey Tunnel this week, snarling traffic between Richmond and Delta during rush hour.

    • Mounties in Nanaimo are warning the public after an indecent exposure incident on a local trail Tuesday.

    • Premier Danielle Smith says she will be listening to see how United Conservative Party (UCP) members would like her government to treat trans Albertans.

    • A Kananaskis campground is again dealing with concerns about a naked person spotted in the area.

    • Phase 3 of repairs to Calgary's wounded water feeder main began on Wednesday.

    • Donald Musselman, the convicted killer of Ottawa hip hop artist Markland Campbell, has died in custody, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) announced Wednesday.

    • A Kingston driver is facing charges after being stopped by the Ontario Provincial Police on Highway 417 while on their way to get a Chick-fil-A sandwich in Kanata.

    • The Department of National Defence confirms unexploded bombs from the Second World War lie buried inside the Mer Bleue Bog, a popular hiking and skiing area in Ottawa’s east end.

    • Thousands of victims of crimes received income replacement benefits from Quebec's IVAC program, which expanded its eligibility requirements three years ago. Now the province says those benefits may end.

    • Montreal reached an $30.6 million agreement with Groupe Hypertec to acquire and protect 11 hectares of greenspace north of the Montreal-Trudeau airport.

    • A man who killed his wife in their north Edmonton home has been sentenced to life in prison with parole ineligibility for 13 years.

    • Premier Danielle Smith says she will be listening to see how United Conservative Party (UCP) members would like her government to treat trans Albertans.

    • The Edmonton Oilers found themselves down 2-0 early in Tuesday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers because of penalties.

    • Three of New Brunswick's party leaders sparred over leadership style, health care, economy and campaign promises during a roundtable discussion Wednesday evening.

    • Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston has announced a new retirement benefit for doctors based on their years of service in the province.

    • Advance polls in the New Brunswick election brought out 110,364 eligible voters on Saturday and Tuesday, surpassing pre-pandemic advance voter turnout.

    • The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is responding to the recent release of Manitoba's sunshine list, saying the government needs to "rein in" spending on salaries.

    • A Manitoba judge has ordered a community to pay the legal costs for a councillor who they tried to oust in 2023.

    • A Manitoba professor is warning the public after a book on regional mushrooms that he suspects is AI-generated was delisted from Amazon.

    • Here's where you can watch Wednesday nights Leaders' Debate between Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe and NDP Leader Carla Beck.

    • Esterhazy RCMP say officers are on the scene of a collision that resulted in a train derailment near Gerald, Sask. on Wednesday afternoon.

    • New polling data available Wednesday shows the top priority for Saskatchewan voters in the provincial election is healthcare.

    • The woman who was fatally shot at a Stratford home on Tuesday has been identified, as well as the man accused of pulling the trigger.

    • The Waterloo Regional Police Service is asking regional council to approve a $253.2 million budget for 2025.

    • New polling data available Wednesday shows the top priority for Saskatchewan voters in the provincial election is healthcare.

    • A humble city in Saskatchewan appears to be consuming more methamphetamine than anywhere else in Canada, based on recent Statistics Canada data.

    • The Saskatchewan Party unveiled its $1.2 billion election platform on Saturday, which is largely built on tax relief and affordability.

    • Police are searching for a 24-year-old suspect charged near Parry Sound with impaired driving causing three deaths who failed to show up for court.

    • The Greater Sudbury Police Services Board got an update on Wednesday from consultants looking into the state of its aging downtown headquarters.

    • Sitting in the mayor’s chair with Joe Preston away, Coun. Steve Peters ripped the Canadian National Railway after a massive railroad tie fire on Oct. 10.

    • Charges have been laid after Saugeen Shores police were called to a suspicious fire in the early morning hours of Sept. 26.

    • Gordon Locking, 66, was found guilty in a Barrie courtroom Wednesday to several weapons charges, including possession of an explosive substance, stemming from an incident at a supportive housing complex.

    • A woman from Scarborough is facing charges and will have to find an alternate method of travel after police say she was clocked speeding nearly 90 km/h over the limit in Innisfil.

    • A retired Innisfil woman was in shock for a week after becoming a millionaire with the lottery.

    • The University of Windsor’s Board of Governors will not consider a motion to pause agreements that ended a pro-Palestinian campus encampment protest of the war in Gaza earlier this year.

    • LaSalle police say they have launched an investigation after a “threatening message” was discovered in a bathroom at Sandwich Secondary School.

    • Detroit Free Press Marathon race director Aaron Velthoven is pumped for Sunday’s event, “We're sold out for the first time in our history.”

    • Mounties have released startling new details about their investigation into the disappearance of Amber Manthorne, who was reported missing on Vancouver Island more than two years ago, and is believed to have met with foul play.

    • Leaders of the B.C. NDP and the B.C. Conservatives will be on Vancouver Island today for campaign events on the last day of advanced voting before British Columbia's provincial election on Saturday.

    • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

    • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

    • Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.

    • With the growing season wrapping up for many, southern Alberta's sweetest crop is in full swing.

    • Health-care advocates say the province's plan for a new primary care agency, operating separately from Alberta Health Services, won't help with doctor shortages in Lethbridge.

    • The Vancouver Giants scored late to force overtime before winning 4-3 over the Lethbridge Hurricanes Friday night.

    • An effort to bring a deep-sea port to Sault Ste. Marie just got a major push forward, with support from the federal government Wednesday.

    • Some of the world’s best curlers have arrived in Sault Ste. Marie for the second annual Soo Fall Classic that many curlers say has become a can’t miss event.

    • A resident got a scare early in the morning Wednesday in Elliot Lake when an unknown man entered their home carrying a knife.

    N.L.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 鶹ý