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 Canadian diplomat had been summoned. 

Canada’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison had made the allegations while addressing members of the country’s Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security on Tuesday.

Replying to a question on Saturday, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said a representative of the Canadian High Commission had been summoned on Friday 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 the 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. 

Categorisation, Surveillance

Responding to reports that Canada has named India an “adversary” alongside China, North Korea Russia and Iran in its National Cyber Threat Assessment, Mr Jaiswal said this was another example of imputations being made without evidence. 

“This appears to be another example of a Canadian strategy to attack India. As I mentioned earlier, their senior officials have openly confessed that they are seeking to manipulate global opinion against India. As on other occasions, imputations are made without any evidence,” he said. 

The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson also said some of India’s consular officials were informed by the Canadian government that they have been under surveillance and said this was a “flagrant violation”of diplomatic conventions. He also made it clear that New Delhi sees the action as a form of harassment and intimidation.

“Some of our consular officials were recently informed by the Canadian government that they have been and continue to be under audio and video surveillance. Their communications have also been intercepted. We have formally protested to the Canadian government as we deem these actions to be a flagrant violation of relevant diplomatic and consular conventions,” Mr Jaiswal said. 

“By citing technicalities, the Canadian Government cannot justify the fact that it is indulging in harassment and intimidation. Our diplomatic and consular personnel are already functioning in an environment of extremism and violence. This action of the Canadian Government aggravates the situation and is incompatible with established diplomatic norms and practices,” he asserted. 

Diwali Celebrations

To a question on Canada’s opposition leader Pierre Poilievre cancelling Diwali celebrations that were scheduled to be held at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, sparking a backlash from the Indian community, Mr Jaiswal said, “We have seen some reports in this regard. It is unfortunate that the prevailing atmosphere in Canada has reached high levels of intolerance and extremism.”

On the reduction in the number of visas by the Canadian government, the spokesperson said the ministry is monitoring the well-being of students and temporary workers from India who are currently in Canada and its concern for their safety and security remains strong.

Ties between India and Canada have been strained since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed, without offering any evidence, last year that “Indian agents” were involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – an allegation that has been dismissed by New Delhi several times.

The relationship hit a new low earlier this month when the Indian High Commissioner was termed a “person of interest” in the killing.  India dismissed the fresh charge as “ludicrous” and withdrew the High Commissioner and some diplomats while expelling six diplomats, including Canada’s acting High Commissioner Stewart Ross Wheeler.