OTTAWA — The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) has expressed strong disappointment regarding recent comments made by RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme concerning Indian foreign interference in Canada. A copy of the written release, issued by the WSO on March 19, 2026, is currently available with the Sikh Siyasat News (SSN).
The controversy centers around an interview Commissioner Duheme gave to CTV Question Period host Vassy Kapelos, where he suggested that, “based on the information before him, there are no longer clandestine activities or transnational repression taking place in Canada that is linked to the government of India.”
According to the statement, the WSO argues that the Commissioner’s remarks appear to rely on a narrow interpretation of active criminal investigations rather than reflecting the broader intelligence and security landscape. The organization highlighted that earlier this month, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) confirmed that India remains one of the foremost sources of foreign interference and espionage in Canada.
The WSO press release also points out that Duheme’s recent statements starkly contradict his own comments from 2024. During that time, the Commissioner stated that “agents of the government of India, through diplomats and consular officials, were collecting information on their behalf on Canadians, bringing it back to the government of India, and that would flow through actionable items to organized crime groups.”
The organization further noted that similar claims downplaying interference were made by a senior government official prior to Prime Minister Carney’s recent trip to India, claims that multiple Canadian Sikh elected officials publicly rejected.
WSO President Danish Singh issued a strong rebuke of the shifting narrative, accusing officials of playing politics with national security.
“It’s disappointing to once again see our Government and now the RCMP playing word games to shield the Government of India at a time when Prime Minister Carney is actively seeking to increase economic ties,” Singh stated.
Singh emphasized that the Commissioner’s words will likely mislead the average Canadian into believing that India has ceased its foreign interference activities in Canada, a notion he called “absolutely false.”
“Sikh Canadians continue to face intimidation, surveillance, and threats linked to Indian state actors and their proxies,” Singh added. “We are aware of multiple recent incidents, including cases where Sikh activists have received ‘duty to warn’ notifications from Canadian law enforcement. We are aware of individuals being surveilled and intimidated.”
The WSO President concluded by describing the current messaging as dismissive of the community’s ongoing security concerns. “This messaging feels like gaslighting to Sikh Canadians,” he said. “If our government and Commissioner Duheme believes it must resort to verbal gymnastics to shield India in pursuit of renewed diplomatic ties, the true cost is the rule of law and the security of Canadians. Any attempt to downplay or obscure the reality of foreign interference erodes public confidence in our institutions and places vulnerable communities at even greater risk.”
