Kanishka Singh
Tue, October 29, 2024
India's newly appointed Home Minister Amit Shah greets the media upon his arrival at the home ministry in New Delhi
By Kanishka Singh
(Reuters) - The Canadian government alleged on Tuesday that Indian Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah, a close ally of Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was behind the plots to target Sikh separatists on Canadian soil.
The Indian government has dismissed Canada's prior accusations as baseless, denying any involvement.
The Washington Post newspaper first reported that Canadian officials alleged Shah was behind a campaign of violence and intimidation targeting Sikh separatists in Canada.
Canadian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison said to a parliamentary panel on Tuesday that he told the U.S.-based newspaper that Shah was behind the plots.
"The journalist called me and asked if it (Shah) was that person. I confirmed it was that person," Morrison told the committee, without providing further details or evidence. The High Commission of India in Ottawa and the Indian foreign ministry had no immediate comment.
India has called Sikh separatists "terrorists" and threats to its security. Sikh separatists demand an independent homeland known as Khalistan to be carved out of India. An insurgency in India during the 1980s and 1990s killed tens of thousands.
That period included the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that left thousands dead following the assassination of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards after she ordered security forces to storm the holiest Sikh temple to flush out Sikh separatists.
Canada in mid-October expelled Indian diplomats, linking them to the 2023 murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. India also ordered the expulsion of Canadian diplomats.
The Canadian case is not the only instance of India's alleged targeting of Sikh separatists on foreign soil.
Washington has charged a former Indian intelligence officer, Vikash Yadav, for allegedly directing a foiled plot to murder Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen and Indian critic in New York City.
The FBI warned against such a retaliation aimed at a U.S. resident. India has said little publicly since announcing in November 2023 it would formally investigate the U.S. allegations.
The accusations have tested Washington and Ottawa's relations with India, often viewed by the West as a counterbalance to China.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Richard Chang)
Top India Minister Authorized Murder Plots in Canada, Official Alleges
Brian Platt
Tue, October 29, 2024
BLOOMBERG
(Bloomberg) -- Indian Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah authorized a wave of violence across Canada that included extortion and homicides, said a senior Canadian government official.
David Morrison, Canada’s deputy foreign minister, told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday that he had confirmed the identity of Shah in a newspaper report earlier this month.
The Washington Post reported that Canadian security agencies had collected evidence that “a senior official in India” had “authorized the intelligence-gathering missions and attacks on Sikh separatists” in Canada. The story went on to say that a Canadian source identified Shah as being the Indian official in question.
“The journalist called me and asked me if it was that person,” Morrison said. “I confirmed it was that person.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday didn’t immediately respond to the allegations against Shah. It’s previously dismissed Canada’s accusations that India’s government was involved in the alleged attacks against Sikh activists, calling them “baseless.”
Morrison was appearing at the committee alongside other Canadian police and government officials about the escalation of a diplomatic dispute two weeks ago. Canada ejected India’s high commissioner and five other diplomats from the country, and India then responded with a similar action.
A year earlier, India expelled 41 Canadian diplomats after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there were “credible” allegations that Narendra Modi’s government helped orchestrate the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. But instead of the matter ending there, Canadian officials allege India continued a violent campaign against activists in Canada.
The US has also charged an Indian national and an Indian government employee with attempting to kill a Sikh activist on American soil. Modi’s government launched an internal probe of the allegations that concluded rogue agents were behind the plot, Bloomberg News has reported.
Shah is a close ally of Modi for more than three decades and is considered a possible successor to the prime minister. He has a controversial past, though, and previously faced charges in 2001 of running an extortion racket and ordering three murders while an official in Gujarat state. He denied the allegations at the time, and a court eventually threw out the case in 2014 after Modi came to power.
Evidence Presented
Nathalie Drouin, Trudeau’s national security adviser, told the parliamentary committee Tuesday that she had personally attended a meeting where evidence was presented connecting Indian agents and diplomats to the crime wave in Canada.
Drouin flew to Singapore for an Oct. 12 meeting with her Indian counterpart, during which both sides agreed to keep the matter quiet while they worked on addressing it, she said.
“Instead, the government of India chose to not respect our agreement and go public the next day, Sunday, Oct. 13, and use again their false narrative that Canada has not shown any evidence,” Drouin said during testimony to a Canadian parliamentary committee.
In response, Canadian police held an extraordinary news conference the following day to outline their evidence, and the government announced it was ejecting six Indian diplomats — including High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma.
Drouin said Canadian officials also decided at that point to brief international media on the evidence Canada held, selecting the Washington Post.
In Singapore, Canadian officials provided evidence that Indian government agents in Canada had been collecting information on certain Canadians, primarily Sikh activists, and then passing that information to an organized crime outfit to carry out extortion, assassination plots and killings, she said.
“Given how alarming the evidence was, we knew we had to act and act quickly,” Drouin testified. “We needed the agents of the government of India to stop their illegal activities in Canada, and sought a collaborative approach with Indian officials.”
Drouin said Canadian officials gave multiple options to India on how to proceed, including Canada’s preferred option of India publicly opening an investigation into the matter, similar to the approach India has taken with the US assassination case.
But she said India quickly made it clear they weren’t interested in that course of action.
“By going public, the government of India clearly signaled that they were not going to be accountable or take the necessary actions we needed to ensure public safety,” Drouin said.
Drouin ended her testimony by stressing that Canada did not act lightly, and does not want to ruin its relationship with India especially in the broader context of having to counteract China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
“Canada remains open to cooperation with India, but we need to have a meaningful engagement from India on our grounded and serious concerns,” she said.
--With assistance from Sudhi Ranjan Sen and Swati Gupta.
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Member of Modi's inner circle behind Canadian criminal plot, official says
Mounties have alleged India is involved in widespread crimes in Canada, including murder and intimidation
(Bloomberg) -- Indian Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah authorized a wave of violence across Canada that included extortion and homicides, said a senior Canadian government official.
David Morrison, Canada’s deputy foreign minister, told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday that he had confirmed the identity of Shah in a newspaper report earlier this month.
The Washington Post reported that Canadian security agencies had collected evidence that “a senior official in India” had “authorized the intelligence-gathering missions and attacks on Sikh separatists” in Canada. The story went on to say that a Canadian source identified Shah as being the Indian official in question.
“The journalist called me and asked me if it was that person,” Morrison said. “I confirmed it was that person.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday didn’t immediately respond to the allegations against Shah. It’s previously dismissed Canada’s accusations that India’s government was involved in the alleged attacks against Sikh activists, calling them “baseless.”
Morrison was appearing at the committee alongside other Canadian police and government officials about the escalation of a diplomatic dispute two weeks ago. Canada ejected India’s high commissioner and five other diplomats from the country, and India then responded with a similar action.
A year earlier, India expelled 41 Canadian diplomats after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there were “credible” allegations that Narendra Modi’s government helped orchestrate the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. But instead of the matter ending there, Canadian officials allege India continued a violent campaign against activists in Canada.
The US has also charged an Indian national and an Indian government employee with attempting to kill a Sikh activist on American soil. Modi’s government launched an internal probe of the allegations that concluded rogue agents were behind the plot, Bloomberg News has reported.
Shah is a close ally of Modi for more than three decades and is considered a possible successor to the prime minister. He has a controversial past, though, and previously faced charges in 2001 of running an extortion racket and ordering three murders while an official in Gujarat state. He denied the allegations at the time, and a court eventually threw out the case in 2014 after Modi came to power.
Evidence Presented
Nathalie Drouin, Trudeau’s national security adviser, told the parliamentary committee Tuesday that she had personally attended a meeting where evidence was presented connecting Indian agents and diplomats to the crime wave in Canada.
Drouin flew to Singapore for an Oct. 12 meeting with her Indian counterpart, during which both sides agreed to keep the matter quiet while they worked on addressing it, she said.
“Instead, the government of India chose to not respect our agreement and go public the next day, Sunday, Oct. 13, and use again their false narrative that Canada has not shown any evidence,” Drouin said during testimony to a Canadian parliamentary committee.
In response, Canadian police held an extraordinary news conference the following day to outline their evidence, and the government announced it was ejecting six Indian diplomats — including High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma.
Drouin said Canadian officials also decided at that point to brief international media on the evidence Canada held, selecting the Washington Post.
In Singapore, Canadian officials provided evidence that Indian government agents in Canada had been collecting information on certain Canadians, primarily Sikh activists, and then passing that information to an organized crime outfit to carry out extortion, assassination plots and killings, she said.
“Given how alarming the evidence was, we knew we had to act and act quickly,” Drouin testified. “We needed the agents of the government of India to stop their illegal activities in Canada, and sought a collaborative approach with Indian officials.”
Drouin said Canadian officials gave multiple options to India on how to proceed, including Canada’s preferred option of India publicly opening an investigation into the matter, similar to the approach India has taken with the US assassination case.
But she said India quickly made it clear they weren’t interested in that course of action.
“By going public, the government of India clearly signaled that they were not going to be accountable or take the necessary actions we needed to ensure public safety,” Drouin said.
Drouin ended her testimony by stressing that Canada did not act lightly, and does not want to ruin its relationship with India especially in the broader context of having to counteract China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
“Canada remains open to cooperation with India, but we need to have a meaningful engagement from India on our grounded and serious concerns,” she said.
--With assistance from Sudhi Ranjan Sen and Swati Gupta.
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Member of Modi's inner circle behind Canadian criminal plot, official says
Mounties have alleged India is involved in widespread crimes in Canada, including murder and intimidation
CBC
Tue, October 29, 2024
Narendra Modi and Justin Trudeau
A senior official in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is alleged to have authorized a campaign to intimidate or kill Canadians, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs David Morrison told MPs Tuesday.
Morrison joined other senior officials testifying before MPs on the public safety and national security committee. MPs on the committee are asking questions about the RCMP's shocking claim two weeks ago that agents of the Indian government were complicit in widespread crimes in Canada, including murder, extortion and intimidation.
Conservative MP Raquel Dancho, the party's public safety critic, led off the hearing with questions about information the Canadian government shared with the Washington Post.
The newspaper reported that Canadian officials identified Indian Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah as one of the senior officials who authorized intelligence-gathering missions and attacks on Sikh separatists in Canada.
"The journalists called me and asked me if it was that person. I confirmed it was that person," Morrison said.
Shah has been described as India's "second most powerful man" and is one of Modi's closest confidants.
Before Tuesday, Canadian officials would only state on the record that the plot could be traced back to the "highest levels of the Indian government."
RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme also testified Tuesday. He has said police evidence shows Indian diplomats and consular staff collected information for the Indian government, which was used to issue instructions to criminal organizations to carry out acts of violence in Canada.
He said the Mounties also have assembled evidence of credible and imminent threats to members of the South Asian community, specifically members of the pro-Khalistan movement seeking a separate homeland for Sikhs.
On Thanksgiving Monday, the federal government announced it had expelled six Indian diplomats — including the high commissioner, India's chief envoy to Canada. India has denied the accusations and swiftly retaliated by kicking Canadian diplomats out of its territory.
Commissioner Mike Duheme tells Power & Politics that RCMP allegations about acts of violence and extortion in Canada link to the upper echelons of India's government, and provides an update on police progress against threats to public safety.
WATCH | 'Strong evidence' links 'highest levels' of Indian government to violence: RCMP
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Duheme said police have warned 13 Canadians since September 2023 that they could be targets of harassment or threats by Indian agents. Police say some of those individuals have received multiple threats.
Duheme told CBC he believes those people are safer since the Indian diplomats were expelled.
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