Dasvand
Ottawa (June 6, 2025) – The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) condemns Prime Minister Mark Carney's invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the upcoming G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta. The timing and nature of this announcement have caused outrage and pain within the Sikh community across Canada.
On May 21, the WSO sent a formal letter to Prime Minister Carney urging him not to invite Prime Minister Modi (original letter follows below). The letter detailed India’s well-documented campaign of transnational repression targeting Sikhs in Canada, including the 2023 assassination of Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar and the RCMP’s confirmation of “clear and compelling evidence” of Indian government agents engaging in criminal activities on Canadian soil.
Prime Minister Modi’s invitation comes despite India’s continued refusal to cooperate with Canadian authorities, including its denial of requests to waive diplomatic immunity for implicated officials. Just weeks ago, the Bishnoi gang—linked to Indian intelligence operations—claimed responsibility for the May 14 murder of a Sikh businessman in Mississauga. Modi has openly said that India will now go to other countries and kill those it deems to be its enemies.
The timing of today’s announcement, June 6, is particularly hurtful for Sikhs. It coincides with the commemoration of the 1984 Indian Army assault on Sri Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) and dozens of other gurdwaras, which left thousands of Sikhs dead. The G7 Summit itself is set to take place just days before the second anniversary of the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18, 2025.
WSO President Danish Singh said today,
“For Sikhs in Canada, this is a betrayal, not just of our community, but of core Canadian values. Prime Minister Carney’s decision to invite Narendra Modi, while India continues to deny any role in the assassination of Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar and refuses to cooperate with Canadian authorities, is both shameful and dangerous.
We would never welcome leaders from Russia, China, or Iran under such circumstances. Yet India has done far more on Canadian soil in terms of foreign interference and transnational repression, including orchestrating murders, and is being rewarded with a red carpet welcome.
What message does this send to the Sikh community and to the family of Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar? This is a complete reversal of the principled stance taken by Prime Minister Trudeau, and it undermines justice, accountability, and the rule of law in Canada. We hope the large number of Sikh MPs in Parliament will take a stand and make clear that our community will not be treated as expendable.”
WSO is a non-profit national organization with a mandate to promote and protect the interests of Canadian Sikhs as well as to promote and advocate for the protection of human rights of all individuals.
May 21, 2025
The Right Honourable Mark Carney, P.C., M.P.
Prime Minister of Canada
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A2
Dear Prime Minister Carney,
Re: Exclusion of Indian PM Modi from G7 Meetings in Canada
We would like to begin by congratulating you and your party on your recent electoral success. Your leadership brings new opportunities for progress, and we look forward to working with you on issues of shared importance to Canadians across the country.
We are writing to you today, however, to express our deep concern and strong opposition to any invitation extended to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the upcoming G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta. In light of the serious allegations and issues detailed below, inviting Mr. Modi would be profoundly troubling and incompatible with Canada’s core values and international commitments. We urge you not to invite him to Canada.
First and foremost, the assassination of Canadian Sikh leader Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil in June 2023 has brought to light disturbing details of the Government of India’s involvement in transnational repression. On September 18, 2023 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in Parliament that Canadian intelligence was pursuing ‘credible allegations’ linking Indian government agents to the assassination in British Columbia. In the months since, our law enforcement and intelligence agencies have shed further light on the disturbing scope of India’s operations in Canada. RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme, in a press conference on October 14, 2024, revealed that the RCMP has gathered ‘clear and compelling evidence’ of agents acting on behalf of the Indian government engaging in clandestine, criminal activities on Canadian soil. These activities include extortion, intimidation, coercion, and violent acts, including at least three murders.
The RCMP has also highlighted the collaboration between Indian agents and organized criminal gangs, such as the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, to carry out these crimes. These revelations paint a grim picture of a coordinated campaign of violence targeting the Sikh community in Canada, allegedly orchestrated at the highest levels of the Indian government. Just last week, the Bishnoi gang took responsibility for the murder of a Sikh businessman in Mississauga on May 14, 2025.
Equally alarming is India’s refusal to cooperate with Canadian authorities. When Canadian officials requested that India waive diplomatic immunity for implicated diplomats and agents and cooperate with ongoing criminal investigations, the Indian government refused. This unwillingness to assist in uncovering the truth further demonstrates a disregard for justice and the rule of law.
While the Nijjar assassination represents the most recent and egregious example, Mr. Modi’s human rights record as Chief Minister of Gujarat also cannot be ignored. During the 2002 Gujarat riots, which resulted in the brutal killing of over 1,000 people—predominantly Muslims—credible allegations, including testimony from senior police officials, have implicated Mr. Modi in either allowing or deliberately ignoring the violence. These unresolved issues continue to cast a shadow over Mr. Modi’s leadership and have resulted in him being denied entry to countries like the United States in the past.
Inviting Prime Minister Modi to Canada at this time would not only alienate the Sikh community, which has already been traumatized by these targeted assassinations, but also send a troubling message to the world that Canada is willing to overlook gross human rights violations and transnational violence in favor of diplomatic convenience or business. Such a stance is inconsistent with Canada’s values of justice, human rights, and the rule of law. Rolling out the welcome mat to someone credibly accused of orchestrating violence against Canadian citizens would undermine our country’s values and reputation.
For these reasons, we respectfully urge you to not invite Prime Minister Modi for the G7 Summit. Upholding Canadian values of human rights and justice must take precedence over political or economic considerations.
Sincerely,
Danish Singh
President
World Sikh Organization of Canada