New Delhi: India has strongly denounced recent allegations by Canadian officials implicating Union Home Minister Amit Shah in alleged plots targeting Canadian citizens. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) termed the accusations "absurd and baseless" on Saturday, intensifying diplomatic tensions between the two nations.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal pointed out that India had summoned a Canadian representative to lodge a formal protest. "A diplomatic note was handed over about the proceedings of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security in Ottawa on October 29, 2024," Jaiswal said.
The note conveyed India's "strongest terms of protest" against statements made by Canada’s deputy minister of foreign affairs, David Morrison, who had reportedly linked Shah to alleged plots on Canadian soil.
The Indian government views Morrison's comments as an intentional attempt to damage India’s international reputation. "The revelation that high-ranking Canadian officials deliberately leak unfounded insinuations to international media is part of a conscious strategy to discredit India and sway other nations," Jaiswal said, adding that such actions could have "serious consequences" for India-Canada relations.
The diplomatic row follows recent testimony by Morrison before the Public Safety and National Security Committee in Ottawa. During the session, he acknowledged confirming to a US newspaper report that Shah was purportedly "involved" in efforts to harm Canadian citizens. These statements, coming from a high-ranking Canadian official, have added fuel to the ongoing rift between Ottawa and New Delhi over issues of alleged foreign interference and security concerns.
These developments underscore the increasingly strained relationship between India and Canada, which has reached its nadir following accusations, diplomatic retaliations, and heightened nationalistic rhetoric on both sides. As tensions continue to mount, the diplomatic impasse could have broader implications for bilateral ties, including trade, travel, and security cooperation between the two countries.
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