Canada’s intelligence agency in Ottawa has declared Khalistan extremists a “national security threat”, adding that the group uses the agency to pursue its “violent extremist agenda” in the country.
In its 2025 public report, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service emphasized that the involvement of Khalistan extremists in violent activities in Canada “continues to pose a national security threat to Canada and Canadian interests.”
“Some CBKEs with close ties to Canadian citizens use Canadian institutions to advance their violent extremist agenda and collect funds from unsuspecting community members, which they then divert to violent activities,” the report posted on the Canadian government’s website on Friday said.
The Khalistan extremist group demands the establishment of a sovereign state within India and has been designated a terrorist organization by New Delhi for its involvement in separatist activities.
The report comes a year after the 40th anniversary of the bombing of Air India Flight 182, in which the suspects were members of the CBKE group.
“To date, this remains the deadliest terrorist attack in Canadian history, killing 329 people, the majority of whom were Canadians,” the statement said.
However, non-violent advocacy for the establishment of a Khalistan state is not considered extremist, and some Canadians engage in legitimate, peaceful movements in support of the Khalistan separatist movement, the report said.
“Only a small group of individuals based in Canada who promote, fundraise or plan violent activities primarily in India are considered Khalistani extremists,” it said.
In 2023, relations between India and Canada hit rock bottom when then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed there may be links between India and the killing of Canadian Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijar. India rejects the accusations.
India and Canada have been seeking to rebuild bilateral ties under Prime Minister Mark Carney, who took office last year. PTI RD RD
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