India has summoned the representative of the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi to protest Ottawa’s “absurd and baseless” claims that Union Home Minister Amit Shah was involved in a plot to threaten and kill Canadian nationals. This marks New Delhi’s first official response to comments made by Canada’s Deputy Foreign Minister during a parliamentary committee session, where he raised allegations related to “electoral interference and criminal activities in Canada by agents of the Government of India.”

On Saturday, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that a diplomatic note was delivered to Canada’s representative, firmly rejecting the accusations against Shah made by Deputy Minister David Morrison. The note conveyed India’s strong protest over the “absurd and baseless” allegations directed at the Union Home Minister.

Jaiswal also condemned the alleged deliberate leak of unverified claims to international media, calling it part of a larger strategy by Canadian officials to undermine India and shape global perceptions. He cautioned that such actions would negatively affect India-Canada relations.

During the parliamentary session, Morrison confirmed to The Washington Post that Shah’s name was mentioned when asked whether he was involved in the matter, shortly after Ottawa had identified six Indian diplomats as “persons of interest” in connection with the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. When questioned about why this information was shared with the media before being made public, Morrison explained that he had confirmed Shah’s involvement in response to a journalist’s inquiry. However, he did not provide further details linking Shah to the case.

Morrison, along with Trudeau’s National Security Adviser Nathalie Drouin, acknowledged to the committee that they had shared unclassified information with The Washington Post as part of a communication strategy coordinated with the Prime Minister’s Office, aiming to ensure Canada’s position was conveyed to a major U.S. publication.

India also expressed concern over Canada’s recent “National Cyber Threat Assessment 2025-2026” report, which listed India alongside China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea as state adversaries, viewing it as yet another attempt by Canada to undermine India’s standing.

Additionally, India protested Canada’s surveillance of Indian consular officials, both through audio and video, which Jaiswal described as a violation of diplomatic conventions. He said Canada had informed certain Indian consular staff about the surveillance, labeling it as harassment and a breach of diplomatic norms.