Who is Jagmeet Singh? Why has he called for a ban on RSS and sanctions on Indian diplomats?

A day after Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) alleged that some Indian diplomats were involved in the killing of a Sikh separatist, Canadian Sikh leader Jagmeet Singh called for a ban on the RSS and for sanctions against the Indian diplomats involved.

Who is Jagmeet Singh?

- Singh is the leader of Canada's New Democratic Party (NDP).

- Singh is a lawyer and human rights advocate, and he was also a former Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) in Ontario, his website states.

- Since 2019, he has been representing Burnaby South as a Member of Parliament.

- He lives in Burnaby South with wife Gurkiran and daughters Anhad and Dani.

Why has he called for a ban on RSS?

At a news conference in Ottawa, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, known for his pro-Khalistan position, called for an emergency meeting with the Public Security Committee which aimed to explore additional measures to ensure the safety of Canadians in light of recent events.

“We demand that the Liberal government implement severe sanctions on Indian diplomats and banish the RSS, a violent, militant, terrorist organization from India, which is a group that operates here in Canada and in other countries as well,” Singh said as quoted by PTI.

“The briefing confirmed what was shared publicly, that this is a very serious allegation. It confirmed some of the background of how we got here. Really what it highlighted is that we've got the Indian government, specifically the Modi government, that is engaged through diplomats in Canada, criminal elements that have then gone on to shoot at Canadian homes, to shoot at Canadian businesses, to kill Canadians. That is very serious,” he alleged.

“As the RCMP mentioned, the briefing also mentioned, that there are deep concerns for Canadian safety, and that's why I really believe it is our responsibility, if we believe in protecting our country, I love this country, we need to do everything possible to keep people safe and to keep our democracy safe,” he said.

“That's why I'm committed to the actions that I've laid out, additional steps to see what we can do to keep Canadians safe by having an emergency meeting of the Public Safety Committee as well as making sure that we take steps to ban this extremist organization, the RSS, that comes from India, as well as making sure that we impose these severe sanctions on Indian diplomats,” he said.

“Are you being targeted?” he was asked.

“It's not about me. This is about the fact that Canadians are at serious threat and serious risk. What the RCMP described is something that should be really troubling. When these acts of violence happen, if someone's shooting, if an organized member of crime is being hired or being engaged by a diplomat, which just sounds incredibly disturbing. If that's happening, that threatens everyone that lives in that community, everyone that lives in that neighbourhood. When businesses are being shot at, anyone that lives nearby, anyone that's walking nearby, this is a threat to all Canadians. And it should be taken with the utmost seriousness,” he said.

Singh said "we need to work with our allies to put pressure on India".

“We need to work with the United States. There's similar scenarios that have played out in the United Kingdom. So, it's clear that we need to work with our allies to put pressure on India. But there's got to be accountability. The Indian government has to be held to account. The Modi government has to be held to account. We all need to be unified as Canadian leaders. All of us have to be united in denouncing Modi and making sure we protect Canadians and put their safety first and foremost,” he said.

(With inputs from PTI)