India has issued a stern warning to Canada, cautioning against further damage to their already strained diplomatic ties after the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail alleged that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aware of a purported campaign targeting Khalistani activists in Canada.

The allegations come in the wake of an already tense relationship between the two nations, fuelled by Ottawa's earlier accusation that India orchestrated the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Khalistan campaigner and naturalised Canadian citizen, in Vancouver in 2023. Nijjar, 45, who presided over a Sikh temple, was shot dead by masked assailants. Indian authorities had accused him of terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder, charges he had denied.

India, home to the second-largest Sikh population globally, has consistently dismissed these allegations, calling them "absurd and baseless." Diplomatic relations between the two countries have deteriorated further, with both sides recently expelling senior diplomats.

In response to the Globe and Mail report published Tuesday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs released a statement late Wednesday, labelling the claims as ludicrous. The report alleged that Canadian security agencies believed Modi was aware of efforts targeting Khalistani activists in Canada.

"Such ludicrous statements made to a newspaper purportedly by a Canadian government source should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve," India’s foreign ministry said, adding that "smear campaigns like this only further damage our already strained ties."

The Globe and Mail cited an unnamed Canadian official who claimed that India’s foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and national security advisor Ajit Doval were “also in the loop.” According to the report, the official stated, "The assessment is that it would be unthinkable that three senior political figures in India would not have discussed the targeted killings with Mr. Modi before proceeding."

New Delhi has also refuted earlier claims that Home Minister Amit Shah was involved in plotting attacks on Khalistani figures on Canadian soil. The Indian government has strongly criticised Ottawa for making what it calls "absurd and baseless" allegations without evidence.

The ongoing controversy underscores the deeply rooted tensions over the Khalistan issue. Canada hosts the largest Sikh community outside of India, including a faction of activists advocating for an independent Sikh state, a movement New Delhi has long considered a threat to its sovereignty. With relations already at a historic low, these latest allegations and the subsequent fallout signal a prolonged period of diplomatic discord between the two nations.