RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme says the force does not currently have evidence connecting India to ongoing cases of transnational repression or clandestine activity in Canada, marking a notable shift in tone after years of sharp diplomatic strain between Ottawa and New Delhi.
“In the files that we have that involve transnational repression, we’re not seeing any connection right now with any foreign entity, based on the criminal information, the investigations that we have presently,” Duheme told CTV Question Period host Vassy Kapelos in an exclusive interview airing Sunday, when asked several times whether transnational repression by agents of India is still a concern.
His remarks come after a turbulent period in Canada-India relations that began in 2023, when former prime minister Justin Trudeau said there were “credible allegations” linking agents of the Indian government to the killing of Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India denied those claims.
The issue escalated further in 2024, when the RCMP accused Indian diplomats and consular officials in Canada of taking part in clandestine activities tied to serious criminal offences, including homicides and extortions. Canada later expelled six Indian diplomats, including the high commissioner. India responded by expelling six Canadian diplomats.
Now, Duheme says the current investigative picture looks different.
“I’m saying that based on the totality of the files that we have on foreign interference or transnational repression, what we have in our holdings is we have people that are intimidating people, harassing people, but connecting the dots to a foreign entity, regardless of the country, we don’t have that,” Duheme said this week, when pressed by Kapelos on whether there is any threat to public safety.
Even so, Duheme did not walk back what he said in 2024. He said those earlier comments reflected the evidence available in a specific investigation at the time.
“The government official who made that quote, (I’m) not quite sure who briefed him,” Duheme said, adding his 2024 comments were based on “the criminal investigation … at the time.”
“That particular file, at that time, yes, I did say you had agents or proxies from the government (of India),” Duheme said.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has also come under scrutiny for trying to rebuild ties with India while concerns over foreign interference remain politically sensitive. Despite the earlier fallout, Carney and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have met three times since last June.
Ahead of Carney’s trip to India last month, senior government officials speaking on background appeared to soften the government’s public posture.
Carney later distanced himself from that language during a media availability in Australia, saying he “would not use those words.” He said his government’s approach to transnational repression is one of “vigilance and engagement.”
The diplomatic thaw has continued, with both countries naming new high commissioners to the other last summer in an effort to reset relations. Still, broader national security concerns have not disappeared. A recent CSIS report identifies India as one of the “main perpetrators” of foreign interference and espionage.
Duheme’s latest comments suggest the RCMP is now drawing a sharper line between intimidation cases under investigation and the higher bar required to directly tie those acts to a foreign state. That distinction is likely to remain central as Canada tries to balance national security concerns with a fragile effort to restore relations with India.
This report is based on CTV News reporting from an exclusive interview with RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme conducted by Vassy Kapelos for CTV Question Period, airing Sunday at 11 a.m. ET.
