India summoned a representative from the Canadian High Commission on Saturday, lodging a strong protest against allegations made by Canadian officials implicating Union Home Minister Amit Shah in alleged plots against Sikh separatists in Canada. In a formal diplomatic note, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) rebuked the statements made by Canadian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison during an October 29 hearing of Canada’s Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security.
“We had summoned the representative of the Canadian High Commission yesterday, a diplomatic note was handed over in reference to the proceedings…on October 29, 2024,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated. “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,” he added.
The MEA stressed that these “irresponsible actions” by Canadian officials could have significant repercussions on already strained diplomatic ties between the two nations. According to Reuters, the contentious comments from Ottawa alleged that Home Minister Shah was involved in “plots to target Sikh separatists on Canadian soil,” with Morrison reiterating these claims to the Washington Post.
The U.S. has also expressed unease over the Canadian allegations, calling them “concerning.” U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller commented, “The allegations made by the government of Canada are concerning, and we will continue to consult with the Canadian government about those allegations.”
This latest episode in the escalating diplomatic rift follows Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s controversial remarks in September, when he accused Indian government agents of involvement in the June 2023 killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The Nijjar case has become a focal point of deteriorating relations between India and Canada, with New Delhi retaliating by recalling its High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and expelling six Canadian diplomats.
Amid these diplomatic strains, both countries now face a deeper diplomatic impasse, with India’s strong message indicating a possible turning point in how it will address further allegations from Ottawa.