Canada alleged Tuesday that Indian Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah, a close ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is linked to plots targeting Sikh separatists in Canada. This marks the latest accusation in a growing diplomatic rift between the two countries.
Canada’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison testified before a parliamentary committee, confirming reports by The Washington Post that he identified Shah as a central figure in a “campaign of violence and intimidation” against Sikh separatists in Canada. Morrison said he told the U.S.-based newspaper, “The journalist called me and asked if it [Shah] was that person. I confirmed it was that person,” without offering additional evidence.
The Indian government did not immediately respond to the latest allegations. However, officials have previously rejected similar claims from Canada as unfounded. In New Delhi, an Indian government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Canadian officials had notified them of the allegations against Shah in October but dismissed the information as “flimsy.”
Tensions between the two countries escalated in mid-October after Canada expelled Indian diplomats, citing potential connections to the June 2023 murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader, on Canadian soil. India responded by ordering Canadian diplomats to leave. Ottawa asserts that Nijjar’s murder fits a pattern of threats and violence against Sikh activists advocating for an independent state called Khalistan. India designates Khalistan separatists as “terrorists” who threaten national security.
The conflict also has implications for India’s relations with the United States. Washington previously charged former Indian intelligence officer Vikash Yadav with orchestrating a plot to kill Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen, in New York. The FBI warned against any retaliation targeting U.S. residents. India responded publicly, pledging an investigation, but provided no further details.
The accusations place a strain on India’s diplomatic relationships with Canada and the United States, both of which have sought closer ties with New Delhi as a counterweight to China’s influence in Asia.
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