India urges Canada to intervene, prevent extremists from holding pro-Khalistan ‘referendum’

New Delhi: India on Thursday once again expressed concern over extremist elements planning a ‘referendum’ in Canada on their demand for Khalistan and urged that country to step in and prevent anti-India activities by groups based over there.

“The Canadian government has conveyed that they respect the sovereignty of India and will not recognise the (Khalistan) referendum… deeply objectionable that politically motivated exercises by extremist elements are allowed to take place in a friendly country,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told a news gathering.

Reiterating India’s firm stand on the issue, the Ministry of External Affairs also urged Canada to designate as terrorists those individuals and groups who posed a threat to India’s security and had been declared terrorists under Indian laws.

“I think we have made our position clear a couple of times. Our position on the efforts by anti-India elements to hold a so-called Khalistan referendum is well known. It has been conveyed to the Canadian government both in New Delhi and in Canada,” Bagchi said at the weekly MEA news briefing.

The Canadian government, on its part has informed that it respects India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and will not recognise the so-called referendum by pro-Khalistan elements. The referendum, it is believed will take place in two parts in Canada, the MEA official said.

Earlier in September, the Canadian government had allegedly claimed that its citizens had the right to assemble and express their views peacefully prompting a strong demarche from India.

Calling it a ‘farcical exercise’, the MEA official pointed out that India had serious concerns that such an exercise could be allowed in a friendly country like Canada and emphasised that it will continue to call upon the Canadian government to prevent anti-India activities.

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