NDP Chief Jagmeet Singh mentioned Saturday that he thought of stepping down after being informed a few credible risk to his life in December 2023.
Singh made the revelation to reporters in a marketing campaign cease in London, Ont. as he’s combating for his political life forward of Monday’s final vote.
Singh mentioned the RCMP warned him in regards to the risk and put him and his household beneath heavy police safety in late 2023 and early 2024. He mentioned interested by what that risk may imply for his household was unnerving.
“Once I received that risk, I used to be floored,” he mentioned. “Once I began interested by what it meant for me and my household, that I used to be the goal of an actual risk to my life, I had the chills.”
On the time his spouse, Gurkiran Kaur Sidhu, was pregnant with their second daughter. His older daughter was then nearly two years previous.
NDP Chief Jagmeet Singh arrives together with his spouse Gurkiran Kaur Sidhu, for the English-language federal election debate, in Montreal, on Thursday, April 17, 2025.
Chris Younger / The Canadian press
“For the primary variety of days, I simply stayed within the basement as a result of they suggested me to keep away from home windows,” he mentioned. “It was a reasonably severe factor.”
Singh mentioned he had some very “powerful talks” together with his spouse about whether or not or to not stay on the celebration helm, noting the explanation for the threats was his place as “a outstanding elected official.”
The NDP chief mentioned he in the end determined to remain on as a result of he had extra he needed to do, together with finalizing the nationwide dental care program the celebration pushed the Liberals to implement.
Singh mentioned the RCMP didn’t say the place the threats to his life got here from however the “implication” was they originated from a overseas authorities.
Singh was considered one of a number of MPs and cupboard ministers given RCMP protection lately. Overseas Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has had fixed safety for greater than a yr.
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Former emergency preparedness minister Harjit Sajjan had an RCMP element for a number of months in 2023 and 2024, as did Conservative Deputy Chief Melissa Lantsman.
None of them, together with Singh, would ever talk about the threats, although the uptick in safety for these 4 coincided with rising threats in Canada following each the Oct. 7 Hamas assault on Israel and the following struggle in Gaza, in addition to Canada’s accusations in opposition to Indian state brokers in relation to the homicide of a Canadian Sikh chief.
Singh was requested in regards to the protecting element round him on the time however he wouldn’t talk about it. His spokeswoman informed The Canadian Press in 2024 that the celebration was following the “suggestions which might be offered to us.”
Singh mentioned he’s sharing his story now after listening to from common individuals on the marketing campaign path who’re fearful about overseas interference and threats in their very own lives.
“Over the course of this marketing campaign, some actually private issues have come up and tales have come up, concepts of how on a regular basis of us are focused, and on a regular basis of us who’re confronted with numerous challenges and assembly with completely different neighborhood teams that got here up time and again,” Singh mentioned. “I felt prefer it was vital, after numerous persuasion, that this may spotlight how severe and harmful overseas interference is for individuals.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rose within the Home of Commons on Sept. 19, 2023 and accused the Indian authorities of being involved in the murder of a Sikh activist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar. He was shot whereas sitting in is truck within the parking zone of his native gurdwara in Surrey, B.C. on June 18, 2023.
Nijjar was a key organizer of unofficial referendums for an unbiased Sikh state in India and was regarded by India’s authorities as a terrorist.
Three Indian nationals, all of their 20s, are charged with first diploma homicide and conspiracy to commit homicide.
When Singh visited a gurdwara in Saskatoon on April 9 to fulfill with members of the native Sikh neighborhood, he was requested a number of questions on overseas interference.
“It was one thing I used to be very reluctant to do previously that I believed perhaps this may be a chance, with the platform I’ve, to share how severe that is,” Singh mentioned.
Everlasting RCMP safety is offered for the prime minister and the governor normal, whereas different celebration leaders, ministers and MPs can obtain it as wanted. The associated fee to guard MPs, not together with the prime minister, has risen considerably in the previous couple of years.
Pat McDonell, the sergeant-at-arms within the Home of Commons, informed a Home committee in Might 2024 that harassment of MPs had risen as a lot as 800 per cent within the final 5 years. Most of it, he mentioned, comes on-line, nevertheless it additionally takes place in particular person.
Singh is making the revelation with two days left within the federal election. His celebration is trailing badly in most polls and is liable to dropping official celebration standing after Monday’s vote.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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