India slams Canada over minister’s link to Sikh conspiracies – ThePrint –

Shivangi Acharya

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India’s foreign ministry said on Saturday it had lodged a protest with Canada over its home minister’s involvement in alleged plots against Sikh separatists on Canadian soil.

Global Affairs Canada did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent after business hours.

The Washington Post first reported in October that Canadian officials alleged that Amit Shah, who is considered second in command in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, was behind a campaign of violence and intimidation against Sikh separatists in Canada.

Canada’s deputy foreign minister, David Morrison, told a parliamentary panel on Tuesday that he told The Washington Post that Shah was behind the plots.

“The note stated that the Government of India strongly protests against the absurd and baseless references made against the Home Minister of India,” External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said at a press conference in New Delhi on Saturday.

Jaiswal said what he called Canada’s “baseless insinuations” would have serious consequences for bilateral ties between the two countries.

Jaiswal also said that Canada had informed Indian consulates that they were under audio and video surveillance, and that India viewed this as “harassment and intimidation”. He did not say when Canada notified Indian officials.

India has previously denied any involvement in the 2023 killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijar in Canada and alleged attacks on other dissidents there. The dispute led to the expulsion of diplomats from both countries.

(Reporting by Shivangi Acharya Editing by Jason Neely and Francis Currie)

Disclaimer: This report was automatically generated by Reuters News Service. ThePrint is not responsible for its content.