New Delhi: Khalistani terrorists in Canada lure Indian students with money and food amid a job scarcity in the country and then force them to indulge in anti-activities and support their separatist narrative with activities such as raising inflammatory slogans outside Indian missions and disrespecting the Tricolour, recalled High Commissioner Sanjay Verma has revealed.
He urged the Indian students to be aware of their surroundings and repel radicalisation attempts by such extremist elements and called for parents to speak to their children in Canada regularly in a bid to understand the situation they are living in and provide guidance whenever necessary.
“At this time in Canada there is a threat from Khalistani terrorists and extremists to the larger Indian community… including students (around 319,000 as data recorded in 2023),” Verma said while speaking to NDTV.
How Khalistani terrorist radicalise Indian students in Canada
Explaining Khalistani terrorists’ modus operandi, Verma revealed that students are given money, food and job offers given that there are fewer jobs in Canada due to the current economy and then influenced by their nefarious plans.
Some students, he explained, are also coerced to take photos or videos of themselves “protesting” — shouting anti-India slogans or disrespecting the flag — outside Indian diplomatic buildings in Canada.
The next step is asking the students to seek asylum by claiming they will be “punished” if they go back to India, the envoy claimed, adding several students have got asylum in Canada on these grounds. Verma also urged parents to be aware of the negative influences affecting Indian students in Canada, which are steering them in the wrong direction.
India-Canada diplomatic row
His remarks come amid the strained diplomatic relations between India and Canada, fueled by repeated, unsubstantiated claims made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trudeau has alleged that “agents” of the Indian government are conspiring with criminal gangs, including the Lawrence Bishnoi group, to “target South Asians” in Canada.
The diplomatic rift began in September last year when Trudeau claimed there were “credible allegations” linking the Indian government to the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen. Nijjar, designated a terrorist by the Indian government, was shot and killed in Vancouver in June 2023.
India has strongly denied any involvement in Nijjar’s death, calling the allegations “absurd” and “motivated” while also stressing that neither Trudeau nor his government have yet provided any concrete evidence to support their claims.
