The United States on Wednesday said Canada’s allegations against Union Home Minister Amit Shah over a plot to attack Khalistani separatists in Canada are “concerning”. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said he would continue to consult with Ottawa on the issue.

“The accusations made by the government of Canada are concerning and we will continue to consult with the Canadian government about those allegations,” Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily press conference.

David Morrison, Canada’s deputy foreign minister, told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday that he had confirmed the identity of amit shah in Washington Post report earlier this month.

Washington Post reported that Canadian security agencies had collected evidence that “a senior Indian official” had “authorized intelligence gathering missions and attacks against Sikh separatists” in Canada. The report goes on to say that a Canadian source identified Shah as the Indian official in question.

“The journalist called me and asked if I was that person,” David Morrison said. “I confirmed that it was that person.”

The Ministry of External Affairs did not immediately respond on Wednesday to the allegations against Amit Shah. The MEA has previously rejected Canada’s allegations that the Indian government was involved in the alleged attacks on Sikh activists, calling them “baseless.”

David Morrison appeared at the committee along with other Canadian police and government officials over the escalation of a diplomatic dispute between India and Canada two weeks ago.

Meanwhile, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Commissioner Mike Duheme acknowledged that there could be a distinct possibility that Canadian criminals are running operators in India.

Mike Duheme also appeared before the parliamentary committee.

“You mentioned here just a couple of minutes ago that it is reasonable to assume, and is in fact happening, that India also experiences violent extremism differently than we experience it here. You indicated that this is a reality. Now, is it possible that criminals in Canada are giving instructions to operators in India, as is supposed to happen in Canada? Canadian MP Glenn Motz asked Mike Duheme.

To that, the RCMP commissioner responded: “I mean after coming out on October 14th. Everything possible. We cannot rule that out, but that is the importance of working with our colleague in India so that we can work together and address the people involved,” Mike Duheme.

India has called Sikh or Khalistani separatists “terrorists” and described them as threats to its security.

On October 13, Canada declared Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma a “person of interest” in its investigation into the June 2023 murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen who has been declared a Khalistani terrorist by India.

Before Canada could take further action, New Delhi recalled Verma and five other diplomats, who were also similarly named.

In response, India also expelled six Canadian diplomats. The diplomatic row escalated further when Ottawa hinted at possible sanctions against India, dismissing accusations including those made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.