MEA denies 'secret memo' against Hardeep Nijjar, slams 'fake narratives' by Pakistan

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has denied reports that the Indian government issued a secret memo against Hardeep Singh Nijjar a couple of months before the Khalistan supporter was killed by unknown gunmen in Canada. “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,” the ministry said in a statement on Sunday. “Those who amplify such fake news only do so at the cost of their own credibility.” Several media reports had claimed that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had issued a secret memo in April 2023 directing Indian consulates in North America to initiate a crackdown against Khalistan supporters in Western nations. The document allegedly named a number of Khalistan supporters including Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a citizen of Canada. Reportedly titled “Action Points on Khalistan Extremism”, the document names various Khalistani groups that it accuses of spreading “anti-India propaganda” and committing “arson and vandalism” against Indian interests in North America. The memo allegedly directed consular staff to work with Indian intelligence agencies and implied that banned Khalistani terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International is connected to Nijjar and a number of other “suspects”. Nijjar was killed by unidentified gunmen outside a gurudwara in the Canadian city of Vancouver last June. The incident sparked a diplomatic tiff between India and Canada after the Canadian government claimed that Indian intelligence agencies were responsible for the murder.