India rejects report of 'secret memo' before Sikh activist's murder in Canada

By Shakir Husain

NEW DELHI, Dec 11 (Bernama) -- The Indian government has rejected as "fabricated" a report claiming that it sent a "secret memo" telling its consulates in North America to launch a "sophisticated crackdown scheme" against Sikh groups in Western countries.

"We strongly assert that such reports are fake and completely fabricated. There is no such memo," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Sunday.

"This is part of a sustained disinformation campaign against India," the ministry said.

News site The Intercept reported on Sunday that the Indian Foreign Ministry in April 2023 wrote a memo that listed several Sikh dissidents under investigation by India's intelligence agencies.

The list included Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Canadian citizen of Indian origin who was shot dead by unknown assailants in a Vancouver suburb in June, according to The Intercept report.

"Concrete measures shall be adopted to hold the suspects accountable," the memo says, as per the report.

-- BERNAMA