India has fiercely denied accusations made by the Canadian government linking Home Minister Amit Shah to a plot targeting Sikh activists on Canadian soil, calling them “absurd and baseless.”
The claims surfaced when Canada’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, David Morrison, alleged that Shah orchestrated a campaign of violence and intimidation against Khalistan activists, including the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a naturalised Canadian citizen and prominent Khalistan campaigner killed in Vancouver in 2023.
Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, stated that New Delhi summoned a representative from the Canadian High Commission on Friday to lodge a formal protest. “The government of India protests in the strongest terms to the absurd and baseless references,” Jaiswal said.
Amit Shah, 60, is a powerful figure in India, overseeing internal security forces as the country’s home minister and regarded as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s closest ally. India has branded Khalistan activists as “terrorists” for demanding an independent Sikh homeland carved out of Indian territory.
The allegations come as diplomatic relations between India and Canada remain strained. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canadian authorities have previously claimed “clear indications” of Indian involvement in a campaign of violence, threats, and cyberattacks targeting Sikh separatists.
The United States has also weighed in, with Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller expressing concern over Canada’s accusations. Moreover, a former Indian intelligence officer, Vikash Yadav, has been charged in the U.S. for allegedly plotting to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen, in New York City.
India has dismissed these claims, warning that such “irresponsible actions” will have severe consequences for bilateral ties. Both nations have expelled each other’s diplomats in the wake of the escalating tensions.