According to latest Canada news, the Canadian government has alleged that Amit Shah, a close ally of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was involved in a targeted plan against Sikh separatists living in Canada.
These claims stem from the assassination of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Vancouver, British Columbia in June 2023.
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Hardeep Singh Nijjar was an outspoken Sikh separatist supporting the Khalistan movement, which seeks an independent Sikh state and has limited support within India.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar murder prompted an international outcry and intensified scrutiny of India’s handling of separatist activists abroad.
Latest Canada news reports indicate that Canada has since intensified its investigation and presented evidence linking Indian diplomats and officials to Nijjar’s killing.
As part of the latest Canada news, the diplomatic row has led to reciprocal expulsions of diplomats from both nations. Canada expelled the Indian high commissioner and five other diplomats, while India responded by expelling Canadian diplomats from New Delhi.
David Morrison, Canada’s deputy foreign affairs minister, testified before a parliamentary committee, revealing that he confirmed Shah’s involvement to a journalist from The Washington Post.
This statement was part of the latest Canada news, confirming Canada’s stance that it has actionable intelligence linking Shah to efforts targeting Sikh diaspora members in Canada.
According to latest Canada news, India is accused of conducting transnational repression against the Sikh diaspora, with reported links to surveillance, intimidation and violent actions against activists in multiple countries.
In addition to Canada, the US has also alleged that Indian operatives attempted to carry out a murder-for-hire plot against another Sikh leader, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York City.
These accusations comes during a dispute between Canada and India, which began following the assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Vancouver in 2023.
The Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau previously asserted that there were credible allegations suggesting Indian government involvement in Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s murder.
Canadian authorities claimed Indian agents were involved in the recent assassination of another Sikh activist, Sukhdool Singh Gill, who was shot dead in Winnipeg in September 2023.
The Canadian government’s claims come on the heels of charges against former Indian intelligence officer Vikash Yadav in the US, accused of directing a failed assassination attempt against Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Nathalie Drouin, Trudeau’s National Security Advisor stated before the national security committee that Canada has gathered evidence indicating that the Indian government has been monitoring and collecting information on both Indian nationals and Canadian citizens in Canada.
Drouin further explained that Indian intelligence was utilizing diplomatic channels and local proxies to conduct these operations.
According to latest Canada news, Despite Canada’s insistence on credible intelligence, the specifics of the evidence have not been publicly disclosed.
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According to latest Canada news, India has yet to release an official response specifically addressing the accusations against Amit Shah. However, Reuters quoted unnamed Indian government sources who called Canada’s evidence flimsy and unlikely to implicate the powerful minister.
In prior statements, the Indian Foreign Ministry dismissed the expulsion of its diplomats by Canada as baseless and countered by expelling Canadian diplomats from New Delhi.
India has continued to characterize Sikh separatists as national security threats, addressing its position that separatist movements aiming for Khalistan, a proposed independent Sikh state that are destabilizing and terroristic.
The conflict over Sikh separatism is rooted in the Khalistan movement, which calls for an independent Sikh homeland carved out of the northern Indian state of Punjab.
Sikh separatist sentiment in India was at its peak during the 1980s and early 1990s. The assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984 by her Sikh bodyguards, following a military operation in a major Sikh temple further exacerbated tensions leading to anti-Sikh riots.
Amit Shah, a close confidant of Modi and a prominent figure in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is known as a political operator with a hardline approach to governance.
His tenure as Home Affairs Minister has seen controversial policies including the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019, which escalated regional tensions.
The latest Canada news reports also highlight Amit Shah’s controversial past including charges of murder related to alleged extrajudicial killings in 2010, which were later dismissed by the Indian Supreme Court.
Following Nijjar’s assassination, Canada expelled several Indian diplomats, citing their alleged roles in criminal activities against Sikh activists.
In retaliation, India expelled six Canadian diplomats including Canada’s deputy high commissioner in New Delhi.
Modi and Amit Shah share a relationship dating back to their involvement in the Hindu nationalist organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh during the 1980s.
Modi’s tenure as Gujarat’s Chief Minister and Shah’s influential role in the BJP helped shape both men as powerful figures in Indian politics.
However, their association has also been by controversy such as the 2002 Gujarat riots, for which Modi faced scrutiny over his government’s response to violence against Muslims.
According to latest Canada news, India has rejected all allegations labeling them as unfounded and asserting that Canada harbors extremists who endanger Indian sovereignty.
The Indian government has demanded that Canada provide credible evidence, claiming that no conclusive proof has been presented.
While the US has not issued a formal stance on the Canada-India dispute, it charged Yadav, an alleged Indian intelligence operative, in connection with a plot to assassinate Pannun in New York.
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