India has dismissed allegations by a Canadian minister, who claimed that Home Minister Amit Shah ordered actions against Khalistani extremists in Canada, labeling these accusations as “absurd and baseless.” In response, a Canadian diplomat was summoned on Thursday, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
On Tuesday, Canada’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison informed members of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security that Mr. Shah had directed a campaign involving violence, intimidation, and intelligence collection against Khalistani extremists.
Addressing questions on Friday, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that a representative from the Canadian High Commission had been summoned, with a diplomatic note presented in protest. “It was conveyed in the note that the Government of India protests in the strongest terms to the absurd and baseless references made to the Union Home Minister of India before the Committee by Deputy Minister David Morrison,” Mr. Jaiswal stated.
Mr. Morrison reportedly verified Mr. Shah’s involvement to The Washington Post, which initially covered the allegations. The MEA commented that this confirms Canadian officials intentionally release “unfounded claims” to the media. Mr. Jaiswal cautioned that such actions would lead to “serious consequences” for Canada-India relations.
“In fact, the revelation that high Canadian officials deliberately leak unfounded insinuations to the international media as part of a conscious strategy to discredit India and influence other nations only confirms the view Government of India has long held about the current Canadian Government’s political agenda and behavioural pattern. Such irresponsible actions will have serious consequences for bilateral ties,” he added.
