• Source:JND
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India-Canada relations: India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh K. Patnaik, has said that the Khalistan-related threat emerging from Canada is not New Delhi’s responsibility but a law-and-order problem that Ottawa must address internally.

Speaking to CTV’s Question Period on Sunday, Patnaik underlined that the issue of pro-Khalistan extremism has been created and sustained by individuals within Canada itself. “Canada cannot look at this situation as an Indian problem. It’s a Canadian problem. There are Canadians who are creating this problem,” he said, stressing that Ottawa needs to take ownership of the threat rather than externalising it.

Patnaik’s comments come amid rising security concerns and a growing number of Indians being deported from Canada. The envoy revealed that he has been placed under official protection following threats from extremist groups. “I find it strange that a high commissioner here has to be under protection. I’m under protection. I should not be under protection in a country like this,” he said.

The envoy said India and Canada are currently engaged in broader security cooperation talks, focusing on the safety of nationals in both countries and on criminal networks operating transnationally, including the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. “Security agencies are talking to each other. There’s dialogue between the RCMP and the NIA, and both our NSAs have met. The process of rebuilding the relationship is underway,” Patnaik stated.

‘Absurd’ To Blame India For Nijjar’s Killing

Patnaik also rejected former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s 2023 allegations that Indian agents were involved in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. He called the claims “preposterous and absurd,” saying no credible evidence had ever been shared with India. “What we needed was dialogue to be able to talk to each other, not make allegations in the press without proof,” he remarked. “No relationship can be destroyed by a single man; it takes an entire ecosystem to do that.”

Diplomatic relations between India and Canada, which had hit rock bottom after the Nijjar controversy, have begun to recover under Prime Minister Mark Carney. Patnaik credited Carney for playing a “very big role” in normalising ties between the two democracies. “We might have been here a little earlier or later. You can’t keep two large countries apart for long,” Patnaik said. “Donald Trump played a role, but I think it’s your new Prime Minister Mark Carney who played a very big role in getting things back to normal.”

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Deportations Of Indians On Rise

Data from the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) shows a sharp increase in deportations of Indian nationals. In 2024, 1,997 Indians were forcibly removed from Canada, up from 625 in 2019. By July 2025, the number had already reached 1,891, suggesting this year’s total may surpass all previous records. Indians also top the list of “removals in progress,” with over 6,800 active cases. Prime Minister Carney recently announced reforms to speed up the deportation of foreign offenders as part of a broader immigration overhaul.

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When asked if India now views Canada as a reliable partner, Patnaik said, “Not yet.” He acknowledged that while trust is being rebuilt, both nations must ensure that “extraneous factors do not interfere with economic activities.” Despite the challenges, the envoy expressed optimism that India and Canada, two democracies sharing common values of freedom, rule of law, and press independence, would eventually move past recent frictions.

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