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Canadian Minister Confirms He Informed Newspaper of Amit Shah’s Alleged Role in Plot to Target Khalistanis A new development in already strained relations between Canada and India has
A new development in already strained relations between Canada and India has emerged as a Canadian minister admitted to have shared information with a newspaper that had claimed India’s Home Minister, Amit Shah, was part of a plot against those with ties to the Khalistani movement. This fuels an ongoing diplomatic row between the two nations after earlier accusations of Indian interference and the killing of pro-Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Canada and India are in a bitter diplomatic standoff over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s public claims that India might have been behind Nijjar’s killing in British Columbia. New Delhi has dismissed the allegations in scathing terms, referring to them as “absurd” and “motivated.” The diplomatic row is fast turning into tit-for-tat expulsions, with the two nations getting increasingly tense over everything, from politics to commerce.
If these reports are correct, the mess may get deeper as it accuses India’s Home Minister, Amit Shah, for targeting individuals connected to the Khalistani movement. Khalistan is a separatist cause, which seeks an independent Sikh homeland, something India views as a threat to its sovereignty.
According to one report, an unnamed Canadian minister reportedly admitted to a top national newspaper that he was the source of claims that Amit Shah was in fact a member of Indian Intelligence. The unnamed minister claims that the Indians’ intelligence operations extend beyond surveillance operations and targeted some key players associated with the Khalistan cause here in Canada.
Although the information is incredibly scarce, it is also mentioned that the Canadian authorities are keeping tabs on such individuals. The ministerial revelation adds another dimension to the larger geopolitical tensions that put Canada’s position openly against perceived Indian interference.
Delhi can be expected to respond stringently to these allegations for it has repeatedly denied every incident relating to extraterritorial operations against Khalistanis. The Indian ministry had issued a statement previously accusing the neighboring country of harbouring and providing shelter to extremists as well as terrorists under a thinly veiled excuse of extending support to free speech issues. Any such direct comment on Amit Shah’s link will surely bring an official response, with the costs being borne in terms of diplomatic engagements and trade affairs.
The Canadian government has been under a lot of pressure since the international community began debating the issue. The U.S. and the U.K. have urged caution to ensure that the accusations have some substance. On the other hand, Ottawa does not want to back out on investigating Nijjar’s death as well as protecting citizens at risk.
The government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is also at home in the dock for not making clear to anyone what evidence supports the charges against India, which does not want a further deterioration in relations over this very issue. If true, then this new development might still tell Canadians more about how Canada planned and determined on its way of handling the Indian response.
What happens next?
With this revelation, the Canada-India dispute is going to flare up even more. The diplomatic channels are going to face even more strain as India is going to demand accountability for what it perceives as unfounded accusations against its home minister. On the other hand, Canada’s insistence on accountability regarding threats to its sovereignty and the safety of its citizens shows no signs of waning.
The observers think that the entire world is keenly interested in seeing the developments roll as they have broader implications for the global plane of diplomacy, counter-terrorism strategies, and human rights issues. Therefore, at this time, this tension between these two states continues to raise with a chance for new diplomatic moves in the coming days.
