The Canadian government’s allegations that India’s Home Minister Amit Shah was behind a series of plots to kill or intimidate Sikh separatists were concerning, the United States said on Wednesday.

US Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller said that Washington DC will “continue to consult with the Canadian Government about those allegations”.

The United States’ statement came a day after Canadian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs David Morrison alleged that Shah authorised a “campaign to intimidate or kill” Sikh separatists in Canada. This was the first time that a Canadian official alleged on record that the Indian home minister was involved in the alleged campaign targeting Sikh separatists abroad.

Advertisement

Diplomatic ties between India and Canada have been strained for more than a year.

In September 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told his country’s parliament that intelligence agencies were actively pursuing “credible allegations” tying agents of the Indian government to Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing.

Nijjar was a supporter of Khalistan, a separate homeland for Sikhs sought by some groups. He was the head of the Khalistan Tiger Force, which is designated a terrorist outfit in India.

Advertisement

New Delhi had rejected Canada’s allegations as “absurd and motivated” and said they were an attempt by Ottawa to divert attention from the fact that it was providing shelter to those threatening India’s sovereignty. India had also ordered Canada to withdraw more than 40 diplomatic staff from the country.

The United States also alleged last year that an Indian government official conspired to kill another Sikh separatist, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The US Department of Justice alleged that the unsuccessful plot was part of a larger conspiracy to kill one person in California and at least three in Canada.