India has dismissed claims made by a Canadian minister that Home Minister Amit Shah ordered the targeting of Khalistani extremists, labeling them as “absurd and baseless.” In response, a representative from the Canadian High Commission was summoned on Thursday. Canada’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, David Morrison, had informed the country’s Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security that Shah had initiated a campaign involving violence, intimidation, and intelligence gathering against Khalistani extremists.
In a statement on Friday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that a diplomatic note was delivered to the Canadian representative. “The note conveyed the Indian government’s strong protest against the unfounded references made to the Union Home Minister by Deputy Minister David Morrison,” Jaiswal stated. “Such irresponsible actions will have serious consequences for bilateral ties,” the MEA spokesperson added. Morrison had previously acknowledged sharing sensitive intelligence with U.S. media, alleging that Union Home Minister Amit Shah ordered a campaign targeting Sikh separatists in Canada.
Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison confirmed Shah’s involvement to The Washington Post but did not disclose how this information was obtained. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had previously stated that Canada possessed “credible evidence linking” Indian agents to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which Indian officials have repeatedly denied. On October 14, Canada expelled the Indian high commissioner and five other diplomats, claiming their involvement in coercion and violence against the Khalistani movement.
Nathalie Drouin, Trudeau’s national security adviser, informed the committee that Canada has evidence the Indian government first gathered information on Indian nationals and Canadian citizens in Canada through diplomatic channels and proxies. She stated that this information was then passed to the government in New Delhi, which allegedly works with a criminal network affiliated with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police stated it took the extraordinary step of discussing ongoing investigations publicly due to threats to public safety. Meanwhile, India has expelled six Canadian diplomats in retaliation.
