Canadian police urge Sikhs in Ottawa to speak out

The head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has urged the Sikh community in Ottawa to speak out as they continue to investigate allegations linking the Indian government to a campaign of violence on Canadian soil.

In an interview with Radio-Canada on Tuesday, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme urged people with knowledge relevant to the investigation they are doing to come forward, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

On Monday, Duheme publicly alleged that “agents” of the government of India had played a role in “widespread” acts of violence in Canada, including homicides.

Duheme alleged that Indian diplomats and consular officials in Canada have been linked to murders and acts of “extortion, intimidation and coercion” against Canadians and people living in Canada.

He told reporters that the national force felt it had to come forward to disrupt the networks working in Canada, which he said pose a “significant threat to public safety in our country”.

“If people come forward, we can help them and I ask them to come forward if they can,” he said in the interview with the Radio-Canada.