The Canadian authorities has publicly alleged that India’s residence affairs minister, Amit Shah, prime minister Narendra Modi’s closest political ally, was behind a latest collection of plots to homicide and intimidate Sikh separatists on Canadian soil.
Testifying earlier than a parliamentary committee, the Canadian deputy international affairs minister, David Morrison, acknowledged that he had leaked data to the Washington Publish concerning Shah’s alleged function in a marketing campaign of violence and threats towards the Sikh diaspora over the previous couple of years.
Morrison confirmed that he had given the data to the newspaper, which then printed a narrative final month naming Shah. “The journalist known as me and requested if it [Shah] was that individual. I confirmed it was that individual,” he mentioned. He gave no additional particulars on how Canadian officers had linked Shah to the investigation.
The Indian authorities has not responded to the precise naming of Shah, who’s quantity two within the Modi authorities, however has beforehand dismissed Canada’s allegations as baseless, absurd and politically motivated. It has additionally accused Canada of harbouring terrorists who’re a menace to India.
The allegation follows an explosive press convention final month, the place senior Canadian police officers accused India’s ambassador to Canada, in addition to a number of senior diplomats and consular employees, of involvement in “felony” actions in Canada, together with homicides, extortion, intimidation and harassment. They alleged that the threats had been primarily towards members of the Indian Sikh diaspora neighborhood dwelling in Canada.
Senior police officers have additionally accused Indian diplomats of involvement within the homicide of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist activist who was gunned down exterior a gurdwara in a suburb of Vancouver final 12 months.
Canada expelled the Indian diplomats in response. India adopted swimsuit, with the senior Canadian diplomats advised to go away Delhi throughout the week, as relations between the 2 nations hit historic lows.
Canada claims to have offered India with intelligence linking Indian authorities officers to unlawful actions, together with assassinations, which have taken place in Canada. India claims to haven’t seen any compelling proof and has refused to co-operate with the Canadian investigation.
The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, mentioned Canada had tried to make use of backroom discussions with India to debate and resolve the difficulty however had been met with denials. At a parliamentary listening to final month, Trudeau mentioned Canada had clear intelligence linking Indian diplomats to “drive-by shootings, residence invasions, violent extortion and even homicide in and throughout Canada”.
India is going through wider allegations of finishing up a marketing campaign of transnational repression, together with extrajudicial killings, of Sikhs dwelling overseas related to the separatist Khalistan motion. Whereas the motion is banned in India and has little home help, it stays lively among the many giant Sikh diaspora dwelling in north America and the UK. Indian officers have mentioned they concern that vocal Sikh activists will fire up violence within the north Indian state of Punjab.
Within the US, a justice of division indictment made public final 12 months has accused an Indian authorities agent of trying to orchestrate the murder-for-hire of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist chief and lawyer who lives within the US. Investigators have charged the previous Indian agent Vikash Yadav – who was working for Indian intelligence on the time he was allegedly formulating the plot – and his Indian affiliate, and described the case as a “grave instance” of transnational repression.
Up to now, Canada has arrested three Indian residents it alleges had been a part of the hit squad that shot and killed Nijjar. Nevertheless, they’ve but to press fees towards any Indian authorities workers they usually say their investigation is ongoing.
The accusations have examined Washington and Ottawa’s relations with India, a rustic typically considered by the west as a counterbalance to China and a rising financial powerhouse.
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