The Canadian government claimed that Indian Home Minister Amit Shah was behind plots to attack Sikh separatists in the North American country, Reuters reported.
However, New Delhi dismissed Canada’s earlier allegations as baseless, denying any involvement. According to The Washington Post, Canadian officials claimed that Shah allegedly promoted a campaign of violence and intimidation against Sikh separatists in Canada, Canadian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison disclosed.
The journalist called me and asked if it [Shah] was that person. I confirmed it was that person.
India labelled Sikh separatists as “terrorists” and a threat to its security. Sikh separatists are demanding the secession of an independent homeland known as Khalistan from India. Insurgency in India in the 1980s and 1990s killed tens of thousands of people.
The 1984 riots erupted when Sikh bodyguards killed then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi after she had ordered security forces to storm the holiest Sikh temple to dislodge Sikh separatists.
Canada expelled Indian diplomats in mid-October, linking them to the assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023 in Canada. In response, India ordered the expulsion of Canadian diplomats.
The US also indicted former Indian intelligence officer Vikash Yadav for allegedly masterminding an uncovered plot to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen and Indian critic in New York.
The charges tested Washington and Ottawa’s relationship with New Delhi, which is often seen as a rival to Beijing.
