On Tuesday, the Canadian government accused Indian Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah, a close associate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, of orchestrating plots to target Sikh separatists within Canada.
While the Indian government has not yet issued a formal response, it has previously dismissed Canada’s allegations as unfounded, denying any involvement.
The Washington Post was the first to report that Canada alleged Shah, considered the second most powerful figure in the Modi government, was behind a campaign of violence and intimidation aimed at Sikh separatists residing in Canada.
Canadian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison confirmed to a parliamentary committee on Tuesday that he had informed the Washington Post that Shah was behind the plots.
“The journalist called me and asked if it (Shah) was that person. I confirmed it was that person,” Morrison told the committee, without elaborating on the specifics or providing any evidence. The High Commission of India in Ottawa and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs have not yet commented.
The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs referred inquiries to the Ministry of External Affairs.
An Indian government source revealed to Reuters on Wednesday that Canada had informed India about Shah’s alleged role in the plots around October 2023.
However, according to the source and another government official, New Delhi considers the information to be weak and unsubstantial and does not anticipate it causing any significant issues for Shah or the government.
Both sources spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
India has labelled Sikh separatists as “terrorists” and threats to its national security. Sikh separatists advocate for an independent homeland known as Khalistan, to be carved out of India. An insurgency in India during the 1980s and 1990s resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands.
This period included the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, which 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 temple to eliminate Sikh separatists.
In mid-October, Canada expelled Indian diplomats, linking them to the 2023 murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. India also ordered the expulsion of Canadian diplomats in retaliation.
The Canadian case is not an isolated incident of alleged targeting of Sikh separatists by India on foreign soil.
In the United States, a former Indian intelligence officer, Vikash Yadav, has been charged with directing a thwarted plot to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen and Indian critic residing in New York City.
The FBI issued a warning about this potential retaliation against a U.S. resident. India has remained largely silent since announcing in November 2023 that it would formally investigate the U.S. allegations.
These accusations have strained Washington and Ottawa’s relationships with India, which is often viewed by the West as a counterbalance to China.