Canadian Official Summoned After Allegations Against Amit Shah By Minister

Rubbishing a Canadian minister’s claims that Home Minister Amit Shah had ordered the targeting of Khalistani extremists in the country, India has termed them “absurd and baseless” and said a representative of the Canadian High Commission had been summoned on Thursday. 

Canada’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison had told members of the country’s Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security on Tuesday that Mr Shah had ordered a campaign of violence, intimidation and intelligence gathering targeting Khalistani extremists. 

Replying to a question on Friday, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said a representative of the Canadian High Commission had been summoned on Thursday and a diplomatic note was handed over.

“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 said. 

Mr Morrison had said that he had confirmed Mr Shah’s name to The Washington Post, which had first reported the allegations, and the Ministry of External Affairs said this proves that high-ranking Canadian officials deliberately leak unfounded claims to the media. Mr Jaiswal warned that such actions will have “serious consequences” for ties between India and Canada. 

“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 said.