Pressure is mounting on Ottawa to officially label the Bishnoi gang a terrorist organization, with politicians across party lines urging action after a series of violent incidents and allegations linking the group to transnational repression against Sikh activists in Canada.
Led by Lawrence Bishnoi, who has been imprisoned in India for nearly a decade, the gang is accused of orchestrating extortion networks, targeted killings, and intimidation campaigns from behind bars. India’s National Investigation Agency has alleged that Bishnoi runs a “terror-syndicate” from prison, using associates in Canada and Thailand to move funds and coordinate hits. He rose to notoriety after being accused of involvement in the 2022 assassination of Punjabi rapper Sidhu Moose Wala.
In Canada, the Bishnoi gang gained national attention during Thanksgiving weekend last year when the RCMP alleged it had carried out violent crimes against Sikh activists calling for a Khalistan state. Police said the group acted on intelligence provided by Indian diplomats, leading to killings, coercion, and a string of extortion attempts targeting wealthy members of Canada’s South Asian community. RCMP Assistant Commissioner Brigitte Gauvin warned that the gang’s activities were linked to agents of the Indian government, though India denied the allegations and claimed it had asked Canada to crack down on Bishnoi’s network.
Political leaders from across the spectrum — including B.C. Premier David Eby, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre — have urged Ottawa to move quickly on a terror designation. Such a listing would allow authorities to freeze assets, ban fundraising, and lay criminal charges against anyone knowingly supporting the gang’s operations.
However, security experts caution that a terror listing may be more symbolic than effective. National security scholar Wesley Wark argues that while such a move may send a strong political message, it would have limited practical effect unless Canadian authorities can intercept the group’s financial transactions. He says what Canada really needs is a “fundamental transformation” of its national security and policing approach to deal with transnational organized crime.
The Liberal government has not said whether it will add the Bishnoi gang to Canada’s terrorist entity list, stressing that public servants must weigh the evidence under strict legal criteria before any group is designated. Meanwhile, political analysts note that the issue is wrapped up in Canada’s complex relationship with India — a country seen as both a key trade partner and a source of foreign interference — making Ottawa’s decision a delicate balancing act between domestic politics, security concerns, and diplomacy.