Canada's Allegations Against Amit Shah Concerning, Will Consult Ottawa: US

Canadian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison said Home Minister Amit Shah "ordered a campaign of violence, intimidation and intelligence-gathering" targeting Sikh separatists in Canada.

India has not commented on the fresh allegations.

Source : PTI

The United States termed Canada's allegations against Union Home Minister Amit Shah "concerning" and said the US would continue to consult Ottawa on the issue.

"The allegations made by the government of Canada are concerning, and we will continue to consult with the Canadian government about those allegations," State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference.

What Has Canada Alleged?

Canadian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison on Tuesday told Parliament members of the national security committee that Home Minister Amit Shah "ordered a campaign of violence, intimidation and intelligence-gathering" targeting Sikh separatists in Canada, news agency Associated Press reported. 

Morrison told the committee that he had confirmed Shah's name to The Washington Post, which first reported the allegations a day before India recalled its six diplomats, including the High Commissioner, from Canada. "The journalist called me and asked if it was that person. I confirmed it was that person," Morrison told Parliament members. However, Morrison did not comment on how Canada knew of Shah's alleged involvement.

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau's national security adviser Nathalie Drouin told the committee that Canada has evidence the Indian government first gathered information on Indian nationals and Canadian citizens in Canada through diplomatic channels and proxies.

She alleged that this piece of information was then passed on to the government in New Delhi, which she alleged "works with a criminal network affiliated with Lawrence Bishnoi", the AP report said.

According to The Globe and Mail, the leaked information also ties India to the killing of Sikh activist Sukhdool Singh Gill, who was shot in Winnipeg on September 20, 2023. This took place just two days after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's statement in the House of Commons accusing India of involvement in the June 2023 murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C.

Although no charges have been filed in Gill's case, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme stated on October 14 that evidence links India to multiple killings, with Nijjar as the only named individual.