On Saturday, India’s foreign ministry announced that it had formally protested to Canada regarding the association of its home minister with purported schemes targeting Sikh separatists within Canadian territory.
The ministry has levelled accusations against Ottawa regarding the surveillance of certain Indian consular personnel.
Canada’s global affairs department has yet to respond to a request for comment submitted outside of regular working hours.
In October, The Washington Post revealed allegations from Canadian officials that Amit Shah viewed as a key figure in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration, orchestrated a campaign of violence and intimidation against Sikh separatists in Canada.
During a parliamentary panel on Tuesday, Canadian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison revealed that he had informed The Washington Post of Shah’s involvement in the plots.
“During a press conference in New Delhi on Saturday, foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the government of India has expressed its strongest objections to what it described as absurd and baseless references concerning the Union Home Minister of India.”
Jaiswal asserted that Canada’s “unfounded insinuations” could have significant repercussions for the diplomatic relationship between the two countries.
Jaiswal stated that Canada has notified India’s consular officials of being subjected to audio and video surveillance, which India perceives as “harassment and intimidation.” There was no indication of when Canadian authorities communicated this information to their Indian counterparts.
India has consistently refuted allegations regarding its involvement in the 2023 murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, as well as claims of targeting other dissidents within the country. Diplomatic tensions have escalated, resulting in the expulsion of diplomats from both nations.
