A CANADIAN official has accused Indian Home Minister Amit Shah of ordering a campaign of violence, intimidation and intelligence-gathering targeting Sikh separatists in Canada.

Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison told members of the parliamentary national security committee that he had confirmed Mr Shah’s name to the Washington Post, which first reported the allegations.

“The journalist called me and asked if it was that person. I confirmed it was that person,” Mr Morrison told the committee.

He did not say how Canada knew of Mr Shah’s alleged involvement.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said a year ago that Canada had credible evidence that agents of the Indian government were involved in the murder of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June 2023.

Canadian authorities have repeatedly said they have shared evidence of that with Indian authorities, but Indian officials have repeatedly denied that and called the allegations absurd. 

India’s embassy in Ottawa didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the allegation against Mr Shah.

On October 14, Canada expelled the Indian high commissioner and five other diplomats, alleging that they were persons of interest in multiple cases of coercion, intimidation and violence aimed at quelling a campaign for an independent Sikh state to be known as Khalistan.