External Affairs Ministry on Friday termed a ‘secretly issued memo’ as fake that has surfaced on social media platforms and which falsely attempts to link Indian diplomats abroad with violent crimes. In a statement, the Government of India clarified that no such memo has been issued.

“The said GoI communication is fake,” the External Publicity and Public Diplomacy Division (XP Division), of the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The April 2023 dated fake memo purportedly from former Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra asks Indian diplomats to “cultivate” Indian diaspora groups in Canada “as a vital force in the street confrontations with Sikh extremists”.

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It goes on to mention names of various groupings of the diaspora including the Indo-Canada Association (ICA), Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC), TiE Silicon Valley (TiE SV), and USIBC amongst others.

This comes amid the ongoing India-Canada standoff over India’s allegations that Canada acts as a haven for Khalistani separatists. Last week devotees and other people were attacked at the premises of a Hindu temple in Brampton, Ontario. India has condemned the violence and urged Canada to provide security to Indian diplomats.

Last month, India “strongly” rejected a diplomatic communication from Canada suggesting that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats were “persons of interest” in Nijjar’s killing and termed it as “preposterous imputations” and part of the political agenda of the Justin Trudeau government.

Following this, then High Commissioner Verma and five other diplomats were recalled by New Delhi.
Ties between India and Canada soured after Trudeau alleged in the Canadian Parliament last year that he has “credible allegations” of India’s hand in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India denied all the allegations, calling them “absurd” and “motivated” and has accused Canada of giving space to extremist and anti-India elements in their country.

Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by Indian National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot and killed outside a Gurdwara in Surrey in June last year.

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