Canada Blames Amit Shah of Targetting Sikhs

New Delhi: Canadian deputy foreign affairs minister David Morrison on Wednesday (IST), according to media reports, told Parliament members of the national security committee of Canada that Union home minister Amit Shah had ordered a campaign of violence, intimidation and intelligence-gathering targeting Sikh separatists on their soil. The latest allegation is yet another low in bilateral ties that have been in freefall since September last year and is expected to be dismissed with contempt by New Delhi.

This is the latest round in an ugly spat triggered by Canada that has raged between both nations, leading to the expulsion of six diplomats each from the other side recently. According to reports, Mr Morrison told the committee that he had confirmed Mr Shah's name to The Washington Post, which first reported the allegations.

“The journalist called me and asked if it was that person. I confirmed it was that person,” Mr Morrison was quoted as saying. This comes after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had recently admitted before his country’s “commission of enquiry” on “foreign interference” that his allegations against India on the killing of pro-Khalistan extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June last year on Canadian soil were based on “intelligence, (and) not hard evidentiary proof”.

India had earlier this month said it was vindicated in its assertion that Canada had not presented any evidence whatsoever and had gone on to blame the “cavalier behaviour” of Mr Trudeau for the “damage” done to bilateral ties.

The allegations against India were first levelled by Mr Trudeau in September last year, soon after his visit to New Delhi for the G-20 summit that was hosted by India.

Meanwhile, Canadian national security advisor (NSA) Nathalie Drouin reportedly 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 said the information was then passed to the government in New Delhi.

Canada had earlier this month alleged that the Indian government has links with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. New Delhi dismissed the allegation as baseless.

Bishnoi is currently in prison in India, but Ms Drouin reportedly said his vast criminal network has been linked to homicides, assassination plots, coercion and other violent crimes in Canada. She also reportedly said a meeting was held with India’s NSA Ajit Doval earlier and claimed that the decision to accuse India publicly was made when Canada felt the Indian government will not cooperate with it.

The ministry of external affairs had said earlier this month that security information was shared earlier with Canada on criminals and gangsters, including those belonging to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and that New Delhi had asked for their arrest but that “no action was taken” by Canada and termed this a “very serious issue”.

Dismissing the Canadian allegations, New Delhi had earlier this month said, “The government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau government that is centred around votebank politics..."