(Bloomberg) — Indian Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah has been implicated by a senior Canadian government official for allegedly orchestrating a surge of violence in Canada, which encompassed extortion and homicides directed towards Sikh separatists.
David Morrison, Canada’s deputy foreign minister, disclosed to a parliamentary committee on Tuesday that he substantiated Shah’s identity following a newspaper report released earlier this month, which highlighted this serious allegation.
A report by The Washington Post outlined that Canadian security agencies had gathered significant evidence indicating that “a senior official in India” had sanctioned “intelligence-gathering missions and targeted attacks on Sikh separatists” residing in Canada. The report further detailed that a Canadian source confirmed Shah’s involvement in this disturbing situation.
“The journalist called me and asked me if it was that person,” Morrison recounted. “I confirmed it was that person,” affirming the alarming allegations reported.
Morrison was testifying at the committee alongside high-ranking officials from Canadian police and government, addressing the diplomatic fallout that transpired two weeks prior. This incident culminated in Canada expelling India’s high commissioner and five other diplomats, a move that India countered by expelling Canadian diplomats in return.
A year prior to this, India had expelled 41 Canadian diplomats in reaction to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s assertions regarding “credible” allegations linking Narendra Modi’s administration to the orchestrated assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian territory. However, Canadian officials assert that India continued its violent campaign against activists in Canada well beyond that incident.
In a significant rebuttal, India has dismissed Canada’s allegations as “preposterous,” even as US authorities charged an Indian national and a government employee with attempting to assassinate a Sikh activist on US soil. According to reports from Bloomberg News, Modi’s administration initiated an internal investigation leading to the conclusion that rogue operatives were responsible for the alleged plot.
Nathalie Drouin, Trudeau’s national security adviser, revealed to the parliamentary committee on Tuesday that she personally attended a crucial meeting wherein compelling evidence was tabled, linking Indian agents and diplomats to a crime wave affecting Canadian soil.
Drouin, recognizing the urgency of the situation, traveled to Singapore for an Oct. 12 meeting with her Indian counterpart. During their discussions, both nations reached a tacit agreement to keep the sensitive matter confidential as they sought resolutions, a commitment that Drouin claims India did not uphold.
“Instead, the government of India chose to not respect our agreement and go public the next day, Sunday, Oct. 13, and used their false narrative claiming that Canada has not shown any evidence,” Drouin asserted during her testimony.
In response to India’s public disclosure, Canadian police convened an unprecedented news conference the following day to reveal their findings and announced the expulsion of six Indian diplomats, including High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma.
Drouin emphasized that Canadian officials opted to inform international media regarding the evidence, selecting the Washington Post as their outlet to ensure the information reached a broader audience.
In Singapore, Canadian representatives presented evidence indicating that Indian government agents had been actively gathering information on select Canadians—primarily Sikh activists—and subsequently relaying this sensitive information to organized crime groups to facilitate extortion, assassination plots, and indeed, killings, as she explained.
“Given how alarming the evidence was, we knew we had to act and act quickly,” Drouin testified, underscoring the urgency to halt the illegal activities reportedly perpetrated by agents of the Indian government in Canada.
Canadian officials proposed multiple avenues for cooperation to India, emphasizing their preferred route of India publicly initiating an investigation into the concerning situation, mirroring the approach India had taken with similar allegations in the US assassination case.
However, Drouin noted, India swiftly indicated a lack of interest in pursuing that avenue.
“By going public, the government of India clearly signaled that they were not going to be accountable or take the necessary actions we needed to ensure public safety,” Drouin remarked.
Concluding her testimony, Drouin reiterated that Canada’s decision to act was not taken lightly and emphasized the importance of maintaining a constructive relationship with India, especially in the context of countering China’s expanding influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
“Canada remains open to cooperation with India, but we need to have a meaningful engagement from India on our grounded and serious concerns,” she stated, highlighting the ongoing diplomatic intricacies involved.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
Catch all the Business News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
