NEW DELHI: The reversal of its previous stance by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) not only marks a major turning point in Indo-Canadian diplomatic relations but also shows a deliberate reformulation of Canada’s official narrative surrounding the alleged operations of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.Speaking about the Lawrence Bishnoi gang’s footprint in Canadian underworld crime, RCMP Chief Mike Duheme told a Canadian news channel that some people may be using the Bishnoi name as a copycat. “So there are two things when we talk about the Bishnoi gang… the Nijjar case which is before the court and I will not comment on that. But in the last year, extortion files have also come up that are linked to or alleged to be linked to Bishnoi. The challenge with that sometimes is that some groups use Bishnoi’s name to further their cause when it comes to extortion. So sometimes it is a bit difficult to untangle,” he saidThis comment is significant considering that Lawrence Bishnoi – who has been declared a terrorist entity in Canada – has recently been accused of targeted killings and threats of extortion. However, this distinction, according to official sources, also suggests a shift towards a more detailed, evidence-based approach aimed at decoupling local criminal opportunism from high-level transnational conspiracies. The RCMP also appears to have distanced itself from the broader, more explosive allegations of a pervasive, centrally controlled criminal network in its current investigation.The RCMP’s new stand, seen as the result of consultations between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney as well as co-NSAs Ajit Doval and Nathalie G. Drouin, also represents a setback for pro-Khalistan elements in Canada who used the “leniency” of the previous dispensation in Ottawa to create the impression in Punjab and elsewhere that their “cause” was gradually gaining acceptance in foreign capitals. For years, these radical groups have used the “Indian interference” narrative as a shield to deflect control of their own activities and gain sympathy from the Canadian public, its government and the international community.