India has termed allegations against Union Home Minister Amit Shah “absurd and baseless.”
India has termed Canadian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison’s claim that Home Minister Amit Shah had ordered the targeting of pro-Khalistani elements “absurd and baseless.” A representative of the Canadian High Commission had been summoned on Friday and a diplomatic note was handed over.

Canada's Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison had made the allegations while addressing members of the country's Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security on Tuesday.

“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 references made to the Union Home Minister of India before the committee by Deputy Minister David Morrison,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a weekly press briefing on Saturday.

Canada has admitted that its officials leaked sensitive information to the Washington Post. The MEA spokesperson warned that such actions will have “serious consequences” for India-Canada relations. 

 “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 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. 

In response to reports that Canada has named India an “adversary” alongside China, North Korea, Russia and Iran in its National Cyber Threat Assessment, the MEA spokesperson said this was another example of imputations being made without evidence. 

“This appears to be another example of a Canadian strategy to attack India. As I mentioned earlier, their senior officials have openly confessed that they are seeking to manipulate global opinion against India. As on other occasions, imputations are made without any evidence,” Randhir Jaiswal said. 

He also said some of India's consular officials were informed by the Canadian government that they have been under surveillance and called it a “flagrant violation” of diplomatic conventions. He also made it clear that New Delhi sees the action as a form of harassment and intimidation.

“Some of our consular officials were recently informed by the Canadian government that they have been and continue to be under audio and video surveillance. Their communications have also been intercepted. We have formally protested to the Canadian government as we deem these actions to be a flagrant violation of relevant diplomatic and consular conventions,” the MEA spokesperson maintained. 

“By citing technicalities, the Canadian Government cannot justify the fact that it is indulging in harassment and intimidation. Our diplomatic and consular personnel are already functioning in an environment of extremism and violence. This action of the Canadian Government aggravates the situation and is incompatible with established diplomatic norms and practices,” Randhir Jaiswal asserted.