New Delhi: The reversal of its earlier stance by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) not only marks a major turn in India-Canadian diplomatic relations but also reflects a conscious reframing of Canada’s official narrative around the alleged operations of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.Speaking about the Lawrence Bishnoi gang’s footprint on Canadian underworld crime, RCMP chief Mike Duhem told a Canadian news channel that some individuals may be using the Bishnoi name as copycats. “So when we are talking about the Bishnoi gang there are two things… the Nijjar case which is before the courts and I am not commenting… but in the last year some extortion files have also come to light which are linked or allegedly linked to the Bishnois. In this, sometimes the challenge you have is that when it comes to extortion some groups can use the name of Bishnoi to further their cause. So “Sometimes it’s a little difficult to sort out.”While the comment is significant given that Lawrence Bishnoi – who has been designated a terrorist entity in Canada – has recently been accused of repeated targeted killings and extortion threats, the difference also suggests, official sources believe, a shift toward a more detailed, evidence-based approach that seeks to separate local criminal opportunism from high-level international conspiracies. The RCMP appear to have pivoted their current investigation away from broader, more explosive claims of a broader, centrally-directed criminal network.The RCMP’s new stance, which is being seen as the outcome of discussions between PM Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney and two NSAs, Ajit Doval and Nathalie G. Drouin, is a blow to pro-Khalistan elements within Canada, who had used the “indulgences” of the previous arrangement in Ottawa to create the impression in Punjab and elsewhere that their “cause” has started gaining acceptance in foreign capitals. For years, these radical groups have used the “Indian interference” narrative as a shield to deflect scrutiny from their activities and gain sympathy from the Canadian public, their government, and the international community.