Ottawa, March 20, 2025 (Yes Punjab News)
The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) strongly condemns former Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s recent remarks at the NXT Conclave in New Delhi, where he said he doesn’t “entirely understand” the deterioration of Canada-India relations and insinuated that Sikhs who support Khalistan should not be “infiltrating” the Canadian government and “inhibiting good people-to-people relations between India and Canada.”
Harper’s attempts to deflect blame onto the Sikh community for the current diplomatic crisis echoes Indian government disinformation and ignores the serious threat to Canada’s sovereignty posed by Indian foreign interference and transnational repression.
Canadian authorities including the RCMP, have linked the Government of India to the murder of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, as well as other criminal activities in Canada, including multiple murders, organized crime, extortion, and shootings.
Additionally, Canada’s Foreign Interference Commission, under Justice Marie-Josée Hogue, has found in its final report that India is second only to China when it comes to electoral interference in Canada. The report also shows that India represents the most serious threat to Canada when it comes to transnational repression targeting Canadian citizens.
Harper has a vested interest in Canada-India relations, as his consulting firm, Harper & Associates, was awarded a contract by the Government of Saskatchewan to expand trade ties with India.
As part of this role, his firm was tasked with facilitating meetings with “senior government ministers and officials.” Harper even accompanied Saskatchewan officials on a trade mission to India, where he stated that his firm would be “working to deepen trade relationships with, and sell more products to, important foreign markets.”
WSO President Danish Singh said today,
“Rather than standing up for Canadian sovereignty, Stephen Harper appears to be prioritizing his business and trade interests with India—an unbecoming stance for a former prime minister. His refusal to acknowledge India’s well-documented involvement in extrajudicial killings and organized crime in Canada raises serious concerns about his motivations.
Harper’s claim that Sikhs who support Khalistan have ‘infiltrated’ the Liberal Party is not only baseless but dangerously inflammatory. His comments echoe Indian disinformation aimed at vilifying Sikhs and deflecting from India’s foreign interference. Comments such as these contribute to anti-Sikh hate, which we see growing in Canada.
If Harper truly values ‘good people-to-people relations’ between Canada and India, he should condemn India’s foreign interference and involvement in criminal activities here—not scapegoating Canadian Sikhs. A strong bilateral relationship must be built on respect for Canadian sovereignty, the rule of law, and the safety of our citizens.”
The WSO calls on all Canadian political leaders to unequivocally reject Harper’s divisive and misleading statements. Instead of pandering to the Government of India, Canada must remain steadfast in defending its sovereignty, upholding justice, and ensuring that those responsible for crimes against Canadians are held accountable.”
The WSO is a non-profit national organization with a mandate to promote and protect the interests of Canadian Sikhs as well as to promote and advocate for the protection of human rights of all individuals.
