India Summons Canadian Official, Protests Allegations Against Amit Shah

The government on Saturday rubbished a Canadian minister's allegations against the Union Home Minister as "absurd and baseless". The representative of the Canadian High Commission was summoned on Friday and a note protesting the accusations was handed to the official.

Addressing a press conference today, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "Regarding the latest Canadian target, we summoned the representative of the Canadian High Commission yesterday... 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 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. 

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. 

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.

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."

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 "ludicruous" and withdrew the High Commissioner and some diplomats while expelling six diplomats, including Canada's acting High Commissioner Stewart Ross Wheeler.