Ottawa – Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, issued the following statement:
“Earlier , Commissioner Duheme and Assistant Commissioner Gauvin of the RCMP released findings with respect to the involvement of agents of the Government of India in serious criminal activity on Canadian soil. The RCMP took this unprecedented step in response to the fact that despite law enforcement action, the activities have continued, which pose an ongoing and significant threat to public safety, particularly to members of the Sikh and broader South Asian community in Canada.
“I want to thank all those involved in this deeply complex investigation, including the many municipal police services with whom the RCMP has worked closely to mitigate threats to public safety throughout Canada.
“In addition to the actions taken by our independent law enforcement agencies, I am working closely with my colleague, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, who has taken additional actions to reduce this threat and together, we are employing every possible action to address these criminal activities, which must stop now.
“For many Canadians, particularly Indo-Canadians, this news will come as a shock. The actions that are alleged to have taken place on Canadian soil are a grave violation of our sovereignty and our rule of law. But I also hope that Canadians can find relief in knowing that our law enforcement and national security agencies are working to keep you safe and hold to account those who seek to harm our communities. I strongly encourage all Canadians and in particular, leaders in the South Asian community, to continue to work with law enforcement officials.
“For generations, people from every corner of the globe have come to Canada seeking a better life, precisely because they felt that the Canadian government would duly fulfill one their most fundamental duties – keep them safe. Our law enforcement and national security agencies work every day to uphold that promise, and I once again want to thank them for their work on this file. The Government of Canada takes the issue of foreign interference extremely seriously. We will continue to take all necessary actions to keep Canadians and those on Canadian soil safe.”