Ottawa: India has no objection to people peacefully advocating for Khalistan in Canada, but such political expressions must not be linked to violence, terrorism or organised crime, India’s high commissioner to Canada, Dinesh K Patnaik, said on Saturday.
The Odisha-origin diplomat’s statement comes amid continued tensions between New Delhi and Ottawa over anti-India activities linked to pro-Khalistan groups operating in Canada.
Patnaik discussed the Khalistan issue along with the renewed momentum in India-Canada relations in an interview with CPAC’s Open Question, the Indian High Commission in Ottawa shared on X.
Patnaik said that people should be free to express their political beliefs, when asked whether Canadians had the right to peacefully advocate for Khalistan.
He, however, made a distinction between peaceful advocacy and criminal activities, including gun-running, drug smuggling, extortion and terrorism.
“What we say is don’t bring the negativity, the filth, the terrorist element, the gun-running, the drug smuggling, the organised crime, extortion don’t bring that into the picture,” Patnaik said.
The right to peaceful political expression applied to Canadians, Sikhs and Indians, regardless of their views on Khalistan, he stressed.
“Of course! 100 per cent. In fact, I’ve been telling from day one that Canadians, Sikhs, Indians all of them have the right to peacefully advocate for whatever they believe in. Whether they believe in,” Patnaik added.
India had no political objection to peaceful advocacy, he said. During the interview, Patnaik also spoke about the improving momentum in India-Canada relations and the areas where both countries could work together.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had on Friday condemned anti-India activities taking place in Canada, while responding to a planned referendum by the banned pro-Khalistan outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) in Edmonton on October 18. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated India’s position, saying, “We strongly condemn all anti-India activities.”