India criticises Canada for linking minister to Sikh plots
India's foreign ministry said on Saturday it had lodged a protest with Canada for linking its home minister to alleged plots against Sikh separatists on Canadian soil. Additionally, India criticized Canada for allegedly monitoring Indian consular staff in the country.
Canada's Department of Global Affairs has not yet responded to requests for comment, which were made outside regular office hours.
The allegations first emerged in an October report by The Washington Post, which suggested that Canadian officials claimed Amit Shah, India’s Home Minister and a key figure in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, was connected to a campaign of intimidation targeting Sikh separatists in Canada. Canadian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison reportedly confirmed this claim during a recent parliamentary panel meeting.
Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated on Saturday that the government strongly rejected these 'absurd and baseless references' to the Home Minister, Amit Shah. Jaiswal further reported that Canadian authorities informed Indian consular staff of their ongoing audio and video surveillance, which India perceives as 'harassment and intimidation.'
India has previously denied involvement in the 2023 murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and rejected accusations of targeting dissidents. Tensions surrounding these issues have resulted in diplomatic expulsions by both countries.
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