‘Disinformation campaign against India’: MEA calls report on ‘secret memo’ against Khalistanis fake and fabricated

The Ministry of External Affairs, dismissed a report that stated that the Indian government in a “secret memo” instructed its North American consulates to launch a “sophisticated crackdown scheme against Sikh diaspora organisations”. The government said that there was no such secret memo and called the report fake and completely fabricated. 

"We strongly assert that such reports are fake and completely fabricated. There is no such memo. This is part of a sustained disinformation campaign against India. The outlet in question is known for propagating fake narratives peddled by Pakistani intelligence. The posts of the authors confirm this linkage. Those who amplify such fake news only do so at the cost of their own credibility,” said the MEA in a statement. 

According to the report, the secret memo was issued in April 2023 and had the name of several dissidents under investigation by Indian agencies, including Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Canadian citizen who was killed in Surrey in June. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had alleged that Indian agents were involved in the killing of Nijjar, something that the government called ‘absurd’ and ‘motivated’. 

The report stated that India expressed growing concerns about its reputation due to activism from Sikh dissent organisations in the secret memo. The memo, titled ‘Action Points on Khalistan Extremism’, lists several Sikh organisations that India blames for engaging in anti-India propaganda as well as acts of arson and vandalisation, the report added. 

One of such organisations named in the secret memo is Sikhs for Justice, headed by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. After Canada’s accusations, the US Department of Justice had charged an Indian individual, Nikhil Gupta, for working with an Indian government official in a plot to kill Pannun. 

The MEA had acknowledged, in response to the allegations, that the US shared some inputs “pertaining to the nexus between organised criminals, gun runners and terrorists” and that the government is taking all necessary follow-up actions. The MEA said that it will set up a high-level committee to look into the allegations, following which the US said that it will wait to see the results of India’s investigations into its allegations.

More recently, S Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, when asked why there was no equitable treatment to Canada and US, considering both had similar allegations, said, “Insofar as Canada is concerned, no specific evidence or inputs were provided to us. So the question of equitable treatment to two countries, one of whom has provided input and one of whom has not, does not arise.” 

Also read: ‘One has provided input, one has not’: Jaishankar says no equitable treatment to US, Canada on Khalistan row

Also read: ‘We will wait to see the results’: US on India’s probe into plot to kill Khalistani separatist

Also read: Who is Nikhil Gupta, the Indian man charged by US in plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun?