Intercept Report On 'Secret MEA Memo' Does Not Pass The Smell Test. Journalist Covering MEA Explains Why

Senior journalist Seema Sirohi, who has been covering India's Ministry of External Affairs for a long time, has raised question on the authenticity of the 'secret memo', based on which a US news portal claimed that the Indian government was targeting Khalistani separatists in western countries.

The article, published by the American online media platform, The Intercept, implied that India had issued a "secret memo" in April aimed at implementing "concrete" measures against Khalistani terrorists.

The Intercept report alleged that the India's Ministry of External Affairs launched a “sophisticated crackdown scheme” against Sikh separatists in western countries, listing several "Sikh dissidents under investigation by India’s intelligence agencies, including the Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar".

Nijjar was shot dead by unidentified gunmen near a Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia in June this year.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had alleged India's involvement in Nijjar's killing. However, New Delhi rejected Trudeau's claims as "absurd" and "motivated".

In a post on X, Sirohi, who has covered the MEA for 30 years, said that the she had seen a copy of the "secret memo" and it "does not pass the smell test".

"First, the language and grammar are too poor to meet basic IFS [Indian Foreign Service] standard. Elitist or not but I have covered the MEA for a bit - 30 years to be precise. I know how they write," she wrote on X.

Sirohi said that the second paragraph of the memo, which The Intercept reporter claimed was "signed off" by a senior official in India’s Ministry of External Affairs was "an assault on the English language that wouldn't have got the recruit through IFS & we're talking of the foreign secretary".

"2nd graf (paragraph), an assault on the English language that wouldn't have got the recruit thru IFS & we're talking of the foreign secretary. "xxx have masterminded various arson and vandalization in North America x x " No way Jose. He would have written "acts of arson and vandalism." (sic)," Sirohi said.

"Also 2nd Graf: Groups "x x defaming Indian government of so-called torturing, murdering and disappearing thousands of Sikhs x x " Come on. This is not even 3rd grade. What is "so-called torturing..." I can assure you top levels of MEA speak/write better than this. (sic)," she added.

Sirohi pointed out that the fifth paragraph, which she quoted as "Although the relation between India and the West continues to gain momentum, the Khalistan issue has become a subtle leverage", contains "subject and verb misalignment that won't pass even Indian newspaper desks".

"Same graf goes on to say "x x x the West keeps utilizing the Khalistan as a geopolitical tool to squeeze amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict." It should be x x x the Khalistan issue x x x not a dangling dodger. Or does the writer think "the Khalistan" is more sonorous? (sic)," she added.

She said that under the memo's last sub heading "The Way Forward", the said memo helpfully lists organisations various consulates should cultivate.

"Alas, the list is so kindergarten as to be laughable. If the foreign secretary needs to alert his minions to ABC, then there's really no hope," she said.

"Finally, if The Intercept was a wee bit familiar with secret communication and not honed on just cables from a certain country, they would know the foreign secretary gives directions to his ambassadors, not consulates," she concluded.