India protests Canada’s "absurd and baseless" allegations against Home Minister: MEA

New Delhi, Nov 02: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has strongly protested against Canada’s recent actions and statements, following allegations by Canadian officials that Indian Home Minister Amit Shah orchestrated campaigns of violence, intimidation, and surveillance targeting separatists within Canada.

The MEA summoned the Canadian High Commission's representative in Delhi to deliver a firm diplomatic note addressing what it described as baseless accusations against Shah.

In a media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal conveyed India’s stance on the matter: “We had summoned the representative of the Canadian High Commission yesterday. A Diplomatic Note was handed over in reference to the proceedings of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security in Ottawa on October 29, 2024. 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. 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 the 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.”

Tensions escalated earlier this week when David Morrison, Canada’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, testified to the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, alleging the Home Minister’s involvement in targeting separatist activists in Canada. Morrison confirmed to The Washington Post that the Home Minister had been behind a campaign directed at separatists, but provided no details on the intelligence that led Canada to this conclusion.

The Canadian government’s claims are part of a broader narrative dating back to the June 2023 killing of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had publicly alleged a credible link between Indian agents and Nijjar’s assassination, straining relations between the two countries. India expelled six Canadian diplomats in October, while India recalled its diplomats from Canada

The diplomatic standoff between the two countries shows no signs of de-escalation, raising concerns about long-term effects on Indo-Canadian relations that are affecting the visas for several Indian students and business persons and the government remains concerned about the security and safety of the Indians working in Canada.