India to seek extradition of alleged terrorists from Canada- media
New Delhi believes secessionists are using the country as a base
India is expected to urge Canada to expedite the extradition of 26 alleged terrorists, who government officials in New Delhi have accused of using the country as their base, according to the Deccan Herald newspaper.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the G7 summit in Alberta from June 15 to 17, and is expected to address the matter in a bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Indian media outlets added. Modi is also likely to emphasize the importance of cooperation between law enforcement agencies in the countries.
New Delhi officials are hopeful that Ottawa will expedite the pending extradition requests and arrest alleged gangsters and terrorists who have escaped to Canada from India, a source told the Deccan Herald. A statement from the Canadian Prime Minister's Office revealed that the two leaders have agreed to "maintain ongoing law enforcement discussions and address mutual security concerns."
Certain members of Canada's Sikh community have been demanding the establishment of Khalistan, an independent ethnoreligious nation carved out of the Indian state of Punjab and surrounding areas. This movement has been central to rising tensions between New Delhi and Ottawa, especially following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations that India was involved in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a key figure in the movement.
India views Khalistan activists as a national threat and has banned their organizations. It has designated the leaders of the movement, including US-based Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the founder of Sikhs for Justice, as terrorists. US prosecutors alleged last year that Indian officials were involved in a plot to assassinate Pannun, who is based in New York and holds both US and Canadian citizenship.
Tensions escalatedin October 2024 when Canadian officials accused Indian diplomats of targeting Sikh activists in Canada, leading to mutual expulsions of diplomats. Trudeau at the time condemned India's actions as a "fundamental error," while New Delhi denied the allegations, claiming they were part of a broader strategy to undermine India for political gain.
Pro-Khalistan separatists have organized protests, chanted anti-India slogans, and targeted diplomatic missions and Hindu temples, with violent attacks in Canada, the US, UK and other countries which have significant Sikh populations.
(RT.com)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
18 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Los Angeles immigration raids: What's happening & how Indians can stay safe
Protests have been sweeping through Los Angeles since June 6, sparked by a wave of arrests by federal immigration agents. US President Donald Trump has now ordered 2,000 California National Guard troops to the city's streets. What began as demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids has escalated into a broader standoff between state and federal authorities. So far, 300 troops have been deployed, but Trump has signalled more are coming. "We're going to have troops everywhere," Trump said on Sunday, adding that the deployment would continue despite opposition from California's Democratic leadership. Why protests erupted in Los Angeles The protests began after ICE agents carried out a series of raids at locations including two Home Depots, a doughnut shop, a garment factory and a warehouse in the Fashion District. These public arrests swept up street vendors, day labourers and other workers accused of using fake documents. Protesters quickly gathered at these sites and detention centres. "ICE out of Paramount. We see you for what you are," a protester shouted through a megaphone. Authorities declared several unlawful assemblies and made arrests. Paramount Mayor Peggy Lemons told reporters, "When you handle things the way that this appears to be handled, it's not a surprise that chaos would follow." Paramount is a city located in southeastern Los Angeles County, California. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also condemned the operations. "These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city. We will not stand for this." Who was detained The Department of Homeland Security said ICE arrested 118 immigrants this week, including 44 on Friday alone. Among those detained were five individuals said to be linked to criminal organisations. Eight American citizens were also arrested in Paramount for obstruction. David Huerta, regional president of the Service Employees International Union, was among those arrested during the protests. He was held at the Metropolitan Detention Centre. California Representative Nanette Barragan warned that enforcement operations would continue daily for the next 30 days. ICE said on Sunday: 'The men and women of ICE work every day, putting their lives on the line, to protect and defend the lives of American citizens. Secretary Kristi Noem is empowering ICE to continue removing the worst of the worst from American communities.' How many undocumented migrants live in the US The number of unauthorised immigrants in the United States is estimated between 10 and 13 million. Pew Research Centre's latest data puts the 2022 figure at 11 million, while the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) estimated 13.7 million in mid-2023. Encounters at the US border reached record levels in 2022–23, and asylum claim backlogs increased by around 1 million cases. Indian nationals form one of the fastest-growing groups. A joint study by Pew and the Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS) estimated around 700,000 Indians lived in the US without authorisation in 2022, the third-largest group after Mexico and El Salvador. DHS data, however, places this figure at 220,000. Indian immigrants in the US rose from 600,000 in 1990 to 3.2 million in 2022. Visa overstays by Indians have held steady at around 1.5% since 2016. The number of Indian recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) dropped from 2,600 in 2017 to 1,600 in 2024. Since the start of Trump's mass deportation initiative this year, India has identified 388 Indian nationals living illegally in the US, all of whom have since been sent back to India. Last week, top Trump aide Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to arrest 3,000 people a day, Axios reported on Wednesday. Federal response and political clash Trump justified the deployment of the National Guard as necessary to restore "law and order," accusing California leaders of failing to control unrest. In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, "If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can't do their jobs... the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!" He has accused California of becoming a safe haven for unauthorised migrants, calling the city "invaded" by "illegal aliens and criminals". Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said active-duty Marines could also be deployed if violence continued. Trump used his Title 10 authority to federalise the National Guard, bypassing state approval. Governor Gavin Newsom formally requested the withdrawal of federal troops, saying their presence is "inflaming tensions". "Indeed, the decision to deploy the National Guard, without appropriate training or orders, risks seriously escalating the situation," his office wrote to the Defence Secretary. Representative Maxine Waters accused Trump of using the crisis to boost his political standing. "I think he's up to creating martial law," she said. What migrants can do if approached by ICE US-based immigration attorney Abhisha Parikh shared advice on how immigrants should respond if stopped by ICE: * Stay calm and do not run. * Ask, "Am I free to leave?" If yes, walk away calmly. * Request to see the officer's badge. * You have the right to remain silent, even if the officer has a warrant. * Do not resist or reach for belongings without permission. * You can refuse searches of your car, house, phone, or person unless ICE has a valid warrant signed by a judge. * US citizens do not have to carry proof of citizenship. * Immigrants over 18 with valid documents must carry them. * Do not lie or present false documents. * Ask for a lawyer if detained, and do not sign anything before speaking to one. * Make a safety plan in advance with family or friends and memorise important phone numbers. Parikh said race or ethnicity alone is not a valid reason to be stopped. "You cannot be held unless they have a legal reason to believe you're violating immigration laws," she said.
The Hindu
21 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Assam govt to intensify drive to identify illegal foreigners: Himanta
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday (June 9, 2025) said the State Government would enforce a 1950 law to identify and evict illegal foreigners. He claimed that the law empowers the district commissioners to declare individuals as illegal immigrants and initiate eviction proceedings. Speaking during a special day-long Assembly session, he alleged that Congress does not value 'citizenship', as out of four family members of one of its leaders, three are foreigners. It was an apparent jibe at the opposition party's State President Gaurav Gogoi, who was seated at the visitors' gallery of the Assembly in front of the treasury bench, whom the chief minister had been targeting for his alleged Pakistan links through his British wife. Mr. Sarma, replying to issues of detection and deportation of foreigners, said the state government will implement the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, for the purpose. It allows the district commissioner to declare illegal foreigners and evict them. Mr. Sarma said a constitutional bench of the Supreme Court had recently ruled that the Act is in force and the government can proceed under its provisions. He said more than 300 illegal Bangladeshis have been deported in recent months. Responding to AIUDF MLA Rafikul Islam's caution that foreigner detection should be handled carefully because 'citizenship is a most valued asset for any individual,' Mr. Sarma doubled down on his criticism of the Congress. 'Rafikul Islam has said citizenship is the most valuable asset, but it may not be so for Congress as they have people in whose family out of four members, three are foreigners,' he said. Mr. Sarma had been claiming that not only has Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi's wife retained her British citizenship, but their two minor children are also not Indian nationals.
The Hindu
21 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Residential hostel contract workers plan protest on June 13
Demanding that the State government facilitate payment to contract workers at government hostels through cooperative sanghas and also urging for revision of wages and regularisation of their service, the district unit of the Karnataka Rajya Sarakari Hostel Mattu Vasati Shala Horaguttige Naukarara Sangha will stage a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner's office here on June 13. State president of the sangha Bheemshetty Yempalli, addressing presspersons here on Monday, demanded that the system of recruiting contract workers through manpower agencies should be stopped and instead, the government should recruit workers through cooperative sanghas. The indefinite protest in January was withdrawn after a meeting with Labour Minister Santosh Lad who then agreed to constitute cooperative sanghas for releasing payment of contract workers. Mr. Yempalli also urged the State government to regularise the service of contract workers and revise their honorarium to ₹25,714 per month. He said that though the Mysuru-based Sharp (Swiss) manpower agency has been blacklisted by the Revenue Department, the same agency continues to operate in Kalaburagi district for recruiting workers. The issue has been brought to the notice of the district in-charge Minister Priyank Kharge and Deputy Commissioner Fauzia Tarannum several times, but in vain, Mr. Yempalli said.
