RCMP are aware of the media report, according to a spokesman.Peter Power/The Globe and Mail
The federal government said little on Monday about an Indian newspaper report that alleged a pro-Khalistan "terror camp" has been operating out of a small community in British Columbia, though the local mayor cast doubt on the story.
The Times of India reported on Sunday that a man who has been living in Surrey since 1995 is the operational head of a group known as the Khalistan Terror Force. The report said the group's members have been operating out of a camp near the city of Mission, east of Vancouver, and plan to carry out attacks in India.
The report said Indian officials plan to seek the leader's extradition and believe he was involved in a 2007 attack on a cinema that killed six people.
Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale told reporters outside a national security and defence committee meeting in Ottawa that he does not comment on operational issues.
"People can be assured, however, that wherever there is a credible threat, the police and security authorities of Canada respond appropriately in robust ways. Whatever action needs to be taken is to be taken. But I do not comment on any specifics," he said.
Mr. Goodale said the Indian government has not contacted him directly, nor is he aware of it contacting other members of the Canadian government.
Sergeant Rob Vermeulen, an RCMP spokesman based in British Columbia, said in a statement that the Mounties are aware of the media report.
"The RCMP monitors all potential threats, but we are not in a position to speak to specific allegations, threats or ongoing investigations," he wrote. "As always, we encourage the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour to their local police agency for assessment and follow-up."
Randy Hawes, the mayor of Mission, said he was skeptical of the report. "I don't think it's happening," he said in an interview.
Mr. Hawes said the Sikh community in Mission is tight-knit and moderate.
"If there was something that extreme going on, people would know about it, and they don't know about it. Which probably says to me it's not going on," he said, adding that he had spoken with the local Sikh temple president.
Ujjal Dosanjh, a former B.C. premier and federal cabinet minister, said he doesn't know if all of the story elements are true, but it is cause for concern.
"If it's true … whether it's a training camp or just a group of fanatic men who go and learn to use guns in a particular forested area, it is worrying," he said in an interview. "Whether or not the violence is intended to be on Canadian soil or on Indian soil is irrelevant to me. Violence is violence, and I think Canadians ought to be concerned."
Mr. Dosanjh said while Khalistan proponents – those who advocate for an independent Sikh homeland – have said there is no longer a violent presence in Canada, he has always felt there is a "hard-core element."
Shinder Purewal, a political science professor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey, said it's hard to know what to make of the Times of India report without further information from Canadian authorities.
"Is there a possibility? You never know," he said in an interview.
He said the pro-Khalistan movement has been violent in Canada in the past, most notably in the 1980s, when proponents were linked to the Air India bombings.
"More recently, we haven't seen any violent incidents," Prof. Purewal said.
"It's probably now a fringe element."
With a report from Michelle Zilio in Ottawa