India summons Canadian official over 'absurd' allegations against Amit Shah
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Saturday said a representative of the Canadian High Commission was summoned on Thursday over "absurd" allegations against Home Minister Amit Shah. The move came after Canada's Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison accused Shah of orchestrating a campaign against Sikh separatists in Canada. The allegations were first reported by The Washington Post, to which Morrison confirmed Shah's involvement. However, he did not reveal how Canada came across this information.
'Such irresponsible actions will have serious consequences'
During a press conference, Jaiswal said that the Government of India protests in the strongest terms the absurd and baseless references made to the Union Home Minister of India by Morrison. "In fact, the revelation that high Canadian officials deliberately leak unfounded insinuations to the international media...only confirms the view that the government of India has long held about the current Canadian government's political agenda and behavioral pattern." "Such irresponsible actions will have serious consequences for bilateral ties," he added.
Canada claims evidence of Indian involvement in Nijjar's murder
According to the Washington Post, India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met his Canadian counterpart in Singapore, where evidence was allegedly presented linking India to attacks on Sikh separatists in Canada. During the meeting, Canadian officials provided alleged proof that India had enlisted networks of the Bishnoi gang to not only kill separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar but also carry out attacks on Sikh separatists in Canada.
Diplomatic tensions rise as India and Canada expel diplomats
In October, the US Justice Department had also announced criminal charges against a former Indian government employee in connection with an alleged foiled plot to kill another Sikh separatist leader, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The indictment accused Vikash Yadav of orchestrating an assassination attempt on Pannun in New York City. The Justice Department said Yadav worked for the Indian Government's Cabinet Secretariat, which housed RAW. Yadav described his role as a "senior field officer" with responsibilities in "security management" and "intelligence."
