Ottawa: The Canadian government on Tuesday accused Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, who is close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, of orchestrating plots to target Sikh leaders on Canadian soil.
The Indian government rejected the previous Canadian accusations as baseless and denied any involvement.
the The Washington Post The newspaper first reported that Canadian officials alleged that Shah was behind a campaign of violence and intimidation targeting Sikh leaders in Canada.
Canadian Deputy Foreign Minister David Morrison told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday that he told the US-based newspaper that the Shah was behind the plots.
Morrison told the committee: “The journalist called me and asked me if (the Shah) was that person. I confirmed that he was that person,” without providing further details or evidence. The Indian High Commission in Ottawa and the Indian Foreign Ministry had no immediate comment.
India described Sikh leaders as “terrorists” and a threat to its security. Sikh leaders demand the establishment of an independent homeland known as Khalistan, which would be carved out of India. The insurgency in India during the 1980s and 1990s led to the deaths of tens of thousands.
That period included the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that left thousands dead following the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards after she ordered security forces to storm the holiest Sikh temples to evict Sikh leaders.
In mid-October, Canada expelled Indian diplomats, linking them to the killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nigar in 2023 on Canadian soil. India also ordered the expulsion of Canadian diplomats.
The Canadian case is not the only case of India’s alleged targeting of Sikh leaders on foreign soil.
Washington has charged former Indian intelligence officer Vikash Yadav for allegedly directing a botched plot to kill Sikh leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen and Indian critic in New York City.
The FBI warned against such retaliation targeting a US resident. India has not said much publicly since announcing in November 2023 that it would formally investigate the US allegations.
These accusations constituted a test of Washington and Ottawa’s relations with India, which the West often sees as a counterweight to China.