New Delhi: A ‘secretly issued memo’, that supposedly links Indian diplomats abroad with violent crimes, cropped on social media was termed as fake by the Indian Ministry for External Affairs on Friday. The ministry said that the Government of India has not issued such a memo, Asian News International reported.
The document, dubbed fake by the External Publicity and Public Diplomacy Division (XP Division) of External Affairs Ministry, is dated April 2023. It is purportedly issued by former Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and it asks Indian diplomats to ‘cultivate” Indian diaspora groups in Canada for street confrontations with Sikh extremists.
The document further mention names of various groupings of the diaspora including Indio-Canada Association (ICA), Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC), TiE Silicon Valley (TIE SV) and USIBC amongst others.
The fake-dubbed memo surfaced when a standoff is going on between India and Canada over Indian allegations that Canada provides asylum for Khalistani separatists.
Last week, some devotees and others were attacked at the premises of a Hindu temple in Brampton, Ontario. Asking Canada to provide to security to Indian diplomats, New Delhi condemned the violence.
A diplomatic communication from Canada had suggested last month that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats were “persons of interest” in Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing. However, India strongly rejected the statement and termed it as “preposterous imputations” and part of the political agenda of the Justin Trudeau administration in Ottawa.
Following the exchange, New Delhi recalled then High Commissioner Verma and five other diplomats.
Further, the ties between Canada and India became weaker after Trudeau alleged last year that he has credible allegations of India’s hand in the killing of the separatist Nijjar. India obviously called all the allegations absurd and motivated, denying them. New Delhi accused of Canada of giving space to extremists and anti-India elements in its soil.