‘Must stop cultivating Khalistanis’: Ex-PM Stephen Harper says Canada must stop harbouring divisive groups

Former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that Canada should stay away from divisive groups and stop harbouring the likes of Khalistanis and jihadists. Harper was the prime minister from 2006 to 2015, and under his tenure the ties between India and Canada had flourished. 

Harper’s remarks come amid a time when the ties between both the nations are at its lowest. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has often been criticised for favouring Khalistanis who are known to play significant roles in his government. 

In an event organised by Abraham Global Peace Initiative (AGPI), Harper spoke to AGPI founder and CEO Avi Benlolo. In Benlolo’s column for National Post, he quoted Harper, who responded to the question: ‘What happened to Canada?’

“We must stop cultivating Jihadists, antisemites, Khalistanis, Tamil Tigers, and other divisive groups. When it comes to our immigration system, we are going to have to ask ourselves some hard questions about how we screen people,” he said, as mentioned in the column. 

Benlolo said that Harper and he agreed that most Canadians abhor divisive ideologies but they must be mindful about bringing in people who share their values. “We cannot start importing age-old hatreds onto our streets. We need to do something about this — we cannot let it continue,” said Harper.

Meanwhile, earlier this month Trudeau acknowledged the presence of Khalistani supporters in Canada. Speaking at Diwali celebrations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa said that there are supporters of Khalistan in the country but that does not represent the entire Sikh community. 

The souring of ties between India and Canada happened after the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a designated Khalistani terrorist. Trudeau accused Indian agents of being involved in Nijjar’s killing, a charge India unequivocally and vehemently denied. India in turn asked for evidence. However Trudeau later said that no evidence was shared with India and that it only possesses intelligence. 

Additionally, during the Diwali event, Trudeau said, “There are many supporters of Khalistan in Canada, but they do not represent the Sikh community as a whole.  Similarly, supporters of the Modi government in Canada don’t represent all Hindu Canadians.”