Narendra Modi’s right-hand man has been accused of personally authorising the assassination of a Sikh dissident in Canada.

Ottawa had previously stated that the targeting and killing of Sikh activists on Canadian soil could be traced back to the “highest levels of the Indian government”.

But David Morrison, Canada’s deputy foreign minister, said under oath on Tuesday that he believed Amit Shah, India’s home minister, had authorised a wave of violence against Sikh separatists.

That included the assassination of the Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia in June 2023 – sparking an ongoing diplomatic row between India and Canada.

Mr Morrison’s claims threaten to further deteriorate the relationship between New Delhi and Ottawa given Mr Shah’s significance in Mr Modi’s administration.