Former prime minister Stephen Harper called on Canada to renew its ties with India, arguing in a speech on Saturday that the country is an indispensable partner in a volatile world.

He also said Canadian political parties — including the Conservative Party he once led — should cut all ties with activists calling for the creation of a Sikh nation.

In his remarks at an event in Brampton, Ont., Harper did not mention the RCMP linking the government in New Delhi to widespread acts of murder, extortion and coercion across Canada.