Canada charges bomb: Amit Shah behind assassination plans

India-West News Division

OTTAWA – Canada has accused Indian Home Secretary Amit Shah of orchestrating a campaign of violence and intimidation against Sikh separatists in Canada, signaling a serious worsening of the diplomatic rift between the two countries.

Shah, a close associate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a key figure in the Indian government, was publicly named in testimony by Canada’s Deputy Foreign Minister David Morrison, who confirmed to the Washington Post that Shah was involved in a recent series of plots to kill Canadians. Sikh activists.

Trudeau’s national security adviser, Natalie Drouin, testified that Canada has documented evidence of India’s use of diplomatic channels and proxies to surveil Canadian Sikhs and gather information about Indian citizens in Canada.

The revelations have heightened scrutiny of India, which is already facing wider allegations of transnational repression, The Guardian writes. While the Indian media has been slow to report on the allegations, Western media have speculated heavily on what it means for India’s relations with the West, saying the nation is now a member of the “murderers’ club”.

Earlier, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Canadian intelligence linked Indian government officials to “drive-by shootings, home invasions, extortion and even murder.” Additionally, Trudeau has argued that these intelligence reports point to a coordinated campaign that Canadian officials have repeatedly tried to tackle through diplomatic channels — an effort they say has been met with Indian denials and denials.

Indian officials have dismissed Canada’s allegations as baseless, accusing Canada of harboring extremists linked to the Sikh terrorist movement Khalistan. It has little support in India, but is active in the North American Sikh diaspora, and India is concerned that separatist activists could incite violence in Punjab.

Meanwhile, the US has charged former Indian intelligence officer Vikash Yadav with masterminding the assassination of Sikh terrorist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannoon in New York.