The Ministry of External Affairs has categorically denied India issuing any memo against Khalistan supporters, as claimed by a media outlet in the United States, and asserted “there is no such memo”.
In a statement, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “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,” it said. The statement said, “Those who amplify such fake news only do so at the cost of their own credibility.”
US media outlet ‘The Intercept’, in a report published on Sunday claimed it has obtained a memo issued by India’s Ministry of External Affairs advising North American consulates to take concrete measures against Khalistani sympathisers. “concrete measures shall be adopted to hold the suspects accountable,” The Intercept reported quoting alleged memo. According to the report, the memo was issued in April 2023.
In September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the allegation of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Nijjar on Canadian soil on June 18. India strongly rejected the charges, calling them "absurd". Recently, United States Department of Justice formally charged an Indian national, accusing him of working for the Indian government to carry out the planned assassination of a Sikh separatist leader and US citizen, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, in New York.
-with PTI inputs.