India on Saturday dismissed as “absurd and baseless” a senior Canadian official’s allegation that Union dwelling minister Amit Shah was related to actions concentrating on pro-Khalistan components on Canadian soil, saying such actions may have “severe penalties” for bilateral ties.
The Indian facet summoned a consultant of the Canadian excessive fee, which has been with out an envoy for a number of weeks, on Friday to lodge a protest on this matter, exterior affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated. He added some Indian consular officers have been additionally just lately knowledgeable by Canadian authorities that they “have been and continued to be” underneath surveillance, an motion that New Delhi believes is a violation of diplomatic conventions.
Jaiswal reiterated that Canada has not to this point shared “any shred of proof” with India relating to allegations about Indian authorities brokers being linked to the June 2023 homicide of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar or the latest accusations about Indian officers directing prison gangs to focus on Khalistani components in Canada.
The most recent developments are set to additional worsen bilateral ties, already in disaster mode. India just lately withdrew its envoy to Canada and 5 extra diplomats after Canadian authorities sought to query them as “individuals of curiosity” within the investigation into Nijjar’s homicide. It additionally expelled six Canadian diplomats from New Delhi, together with the deputy excessive commissioner.
Whereas deposing earlier than the Canadian Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Security and Nationwide Safety in Ottawa on October 29, deputy overseas minister David Morrison confirmed he had informed The Washington Put up that Union dwelling minister Amit Shah was related to prison exercise concentrating on pro-Khalistan components in Canada.
Jaiswal stated the Indian facet summoned a consultant of the Canadian excessive fee on Friday and handed over a diplomatic notice that contained a powerful protest in opposition to the “absurd and baseless references made to the Union dwelling minister of India earlier than the [standing] committee by deputy minister David Morrison”.
“In actual fact, the revelation that top Canadian officers intentionally leak unfounded insinuations to the worldwide media as a part of a acutely aware technique to discredit India and affect different nations solely confirms the view the federal government of India has lengthy held in regards to the present Canadian authorities’s political agenda and behavioural sample,” Jaiswal stated. “Such irresponsible actions may have severe penalties for bilateral ties.”
Responding to a query on surveillance of Indian officers in Canada, Jaiswal stated some consular officers have been “just lately knowledgeable by the Canadian authorities that they’ve been and continued to be underneath audio and video surveillance”.
With out giving particulars in regards to the officers subjected to surveillance, he stated: “Their communications have additionally been intercepted. We have now formally protested to the Canadian authorities as we deem these actions to be a flagrant violation of related diplomatic and consular conventions.”
The Canadian authorities, Jaiswal stated, can not “justify the truth that it’s indulging in harassment and intimidation” by citing technicalities. “Our diplomatic and consular personnel are already functioning in an atmosphere of extremism and violence. This motion of the Canadian authorities aggravates the scenario and is incompatible with established diplomatic norms and practices,” he stated.
India has maintained for a while now that its diplomats and officers in Canada are being intimidated by Khalistani components, who’ve issued posters that includes the diplomats and threatening them.
Completely different features of India-Canada ties dominated the weekly media briefing and Jaiswal criticised the actions of Canadian authorities and politicians in a number of areas, together with the discount of visas for Indians and cancellation of the annual Diwali celebrations at Parliament Home in Ottawa.
When Jaiswal was requested about Canada’s Nationwide Cyber Risk Evaluation 2025-2026 itemizing India as an “adversary” for the primary time, he described it as one other instance of a “Canadian technique to assault India” and famous that senior Canadian officers had “brazenly confessed that they’re looking for to govern international opinion in opposition to India”.
Jaiswal added, “As on different events, imputations are made with none proof.”
Following reviews about Canada decreasing visas for Indians, New Delhi is monitoring the well-being of scholars and short-term staff from India who’re at present in Canada. “Our concern for his or her security and safety stays robust,” Jaiswal stated.
Responding to a different query on Canada’s Chief of Opposition, Conservative Get together chief Pierre Poilievre, withdrawing from internet hosting the annual Diwali celebrations at Parliament Home, Jaiswal stated it was “unlucky that the prevailing environment in Canada has reached excessive ranges of intolerance and extremism”.
The transfer to cancel the celebration, held for 23 years, generated deep disappointment amongst organisations representing Canadians of Indian origin, together with the Abroad Buddies of India Canada (OFIC).
Jaiswal was additionally requested about New Democratic Get together chief Jagmeet Singh’s transfer to get the violence in opposition to Sikhs in 1984 to be recognised as “genocide” in Canadian Parliament and stated this was a part of the extremism, tradition of violence and anti-India actions in Canada. “That is our core concern with the Canadian authorities, and we hope they are going to take motion in opposition to these actions,” he stated.
India-Canada relations have been in freefall since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegation in September 2023 that Indian authorities brokers have been linked to the killing of Nijjar, who was gunned down exterior a gurdwara in Surrey. India dismissed Trudeau’s accusation as absurd and compelled Canada to withdraw 41 diplomats from the nation. Canadian officers have stated they shared info with the Indian facet, however New Delhi has maintained it hasn’t obtained any proof to again up the allegations.
