India Summons Canadian Envoy Over 'Baseless' Claims Against Amit Shah

India summoned a representative from the Canadian High Commission on Saturday, expressing strong objections to allegations made against Union Home Minister Amit Shah by Ottawa. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir jaiswal said that India has strongly rejected the ‘absurd and baseless’ references made to Shah by Canadian Deputy Minister David Morrison during a committee session.

“We had summoned the representative of the Canadian High Commission yesterday, a diplomatic note was handed over in reference to the proceedings of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security in Ottawa on October 29, 2024,” Jaiswal said. 

Reiterating Indian government’s view of Canada’s ‘behavioural pattern’ motivated by the 'political agenda', Jaiswal said, “The revelation that high Canadian officials deliberately leak unfounded insinuations to the international media as part of a conscious strategy to discredit India and influence other nations only confirms the view that the government of India has long held about the current Canadian government's political agenda and behavioural pattern.” 

“Such irresponsible actions will have serious consequences for bilateral ties,” the MEA spokesperson said adding that the Government of India protests such allegations in the 'strongest terms.'

#WATCH | MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "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… pic.twitter.com/8rJhp9uS9G

— ANI (@ANI) November 2, 2024

As reported by Reuters, Canada claimed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah was involved in "plots to target Sikh separatists on Canadian soil."

In a statement to a parliamentary panel, Canadian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Morrison alleged that he told the Washington Post that “Shah was behind the plots.” 

Meanwhile, the United States responded to Canada's allegations against Amit Shah on Wednesday, describing them as 'concerning.' State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated, “The allegations made by the government of Canada are concerning, and we will continue to consult with the Canadian government about those allegations.”