New Delhi: The United States State Department on Wednesday (October 30) said that the allegations against Union home minister Amit Shah are “concerning” and the US would continue to consult the Canadian government on the issue.
The statement comes a day after Canadian deputy foreign affairs minister David Morrison told a Canadian parliamentary committee that he confirmed Shah’s involvement in a plot to kill Canadian nationals to the Washington Post.
“The allegations made by the government of Canada are concerning, and we will continue to consult with the Canadian government about those allegations,” US state department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.
Canada’s national security and intelligence advisor Nathalie Drouin and Morrison on Tuesday confirmed that they spoke to the Post on “background” as part of a media strategy to counter “disinformation” from the Indian government.
Also read: Canadian Deputy FM Says He ‘Confirmed’ Amit Shah’s ‘Involvement’ in Plot to Attack Khalistanis
The Washington Post had on October 14 cited unnamed Canadian officials as saying they had told the Indian government that “conversations and texts among Indian diplomats” ordered out of the country that day “include references” to Shah and a senior official in the Research and Analysis Wing “who have authorised … intelligence-gathering missions and attacks on Sikh separatists” in Canada.
In response to a question, Drouin said that she did not volunteer this information. “The journalist called me and asked me if it was that person. I confirmed it was that person.”
Morrison, adding to this, said, “So, this is a journalist who’s written extensively on this topic… journalist that has various sources. He asked me if that was one of the people and I confirmed that it was”.
The Canadian NSIA while speaking at the hearing also detailed the various options presented to the Indian government before the two countries expelled each other’s diplomats.
