Home Minister Amit Shah
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has expressed strong objection to Canadian Deputy Foreign Minister David Morrison’s remarks against Indian Union Home Minister Amit Shah. On Saturday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said representatives from the Canadian High Commission had been summoned to discuss the matter.
Canada’s national security and intelligence adviser Nathalie Drouin and Canadian parliamentary national security committee member David Morrison confirmed a leaked Washington Post report that said Shah was behind the campaign against Khalistan separatists in Canada.
#watch | MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “Regarding Canada’s latest target, we summoned representatives of the Canadian High Commission yesterday… In the note, it was stated that the Indian government is not responsible for this absurd and senseless goal. The strongest protest was made based on the act. pic.twitter.com/8rJhp9uS9G
— ANI (@ANI) November 2, 2024
Canadian minister calls statement irresponsible
Jaiswal stressed in a statement that the Indian government opposed Morrison’s “ridiculous and baseless claims” “in the strongest terms”. He said the alleged leaking of baseless information by senior Canadian officials to the international media reflected a deliberate strategy to defame India and influence other countries. This irresponsible behavior will have serious consequences for bilateral relations.
Responding to a question about Canada’s surveillance of Indian officials, a spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs said, “The Government of Canada has recently informed some of our consular officers that they are and will continue to be subject to audio and video surveillance.” Their communications have also been disrupted.
Protest to the Canadian government
“We have lodged a formal protest with the Canadian government as we believe these actions constitute a serious breach of relevant diplomatic and consular conventions,” he said.
He said the Canadian government cannot justify the fact that it engaged in harassment and intimidation by citing technicalities. Our diplomatic and consular personnel already work in extremist and violent environments. This action by the Canadian government aggravates the situation and is inconsistent with established diplomatic norms and practices.
