Canada’s Communications Security Establishment (CSE) has alleged that India is employing advanced cyber technology to monitor pro-Khalistan activists living abroad. The accusation comes amid a diplomatic standoff following Canadian claims that high-ranking Indian officials, including Home Minister Amit Shah, were involved in the 2023 assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Vancouver. According to the CSE, India has ramped up its cyber surveillance capabilities, particularly targeting activists and dissidents overseas, which the agency deems an emerging threat.
CSE Chief Caroline Xavier recently stated that India’s cyber operations are increasingly directed at monitoring separatist advocates, specifically those associated with the Khalistan movement. Following Canada’s accusations regarding Nijjar’s murder, pro-India hacktivists allegedly launched Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on Canadian government websites, including military sites, causing disruptions. Canada’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, David Morrison, further testified that the intelligence pointing to Indian involvement was confirmed to a journalist from *The Washington Post* and implicated Shah in authorizing intelligence operations against Canadian Sikhs.
In response, both Canada and India have expelled diplomats, escalating the diplomatic crisis. Canada, with the largest Sikh diaspora outside India, has expressed concern over the safety of Sikh activists, while India has firmly denied any role in Nijjar’s death, dismissing the allegations as baseless and politically driven. Four Indian nationals have been detained in connection with the incident, deepening the divide between the two nations amid heightened security and political tensions.
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