Canada has accused Indian Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah of being behind a campaign of violence and intimidation targeting Sikh activists, in a move likely to extend a recent diplomatic spat between Ottawa and New Delhi.
Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, David Morrison, confirmed to the members of the national security committee late on Tuesday that the government considers Shah, considered India’s second-highest leader and a close ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the architect of the campaign against Sikh separatists in Canada, which has included the assassination of an activist.
Earlier, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had said Canada has credible evidence that agents of the Indian government were involved in the murder of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June 2023.
The assassination and aftermath have caused a diplomatic spat between the two countries.
Canada expelled Indian diplomats that it linked to the campaign it claims has targeted Sikhs. India responded with its own expulsion of Canadian officials.
Modi’s government has branded Sikh separatists “terrorists” and threats to its security. The activists demand an independent homeland, known as Khalistan, to be carved out of India.
