India Rejects Canadian Commission’s Report On Election Interference
India on Tuesday rejected a report by the Canadian Commission alleging interference of the Government of India in Canada’s federal elections.
The Ministry of External Affairs rejected insinuations of the report, which alleged that “the government of India was suspected of using proxy agents to provide clandestine financial support to candidates from three political parties in a federal election”.
The MEA retaliated against Ottawa for its consistent interference in India’s internal matters.
“We have seen a report about alleged activities on purported interference. It is in fact Canada which has been consistently interfering in India’s internal affairs. This has also created an environment for illegal migration and organized criminal activities,” the MEA said in an official statement.
“We reject the report’s insinuations on India and expect that the support system enabling illegal migration will not be further countenanced,” it added.
The Canadian panel, chaired by Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue, released its final report on foreign interference in Canada’s federal election on Tuesday.
In the final report, Hogue acknowledged legitimate concerns about Canadian parliamentarians potentially having problematic relationships with foreign officials, exercising poor judgment, behaving naively, and displaying questionable ethics.
However, she stated that she did not find evidence of parliamentarians conspiring with foreign states against Canada.
While clearing its own lawmaker of any wrongdoing, it went on to accuse India of becoming the “second most active country engaging in electoral foreign interference in Canada.”
The report also included details on how Pakistan attempted to covertly influence Canadian federal politics before the 2019 federal election to advance its interests in Canada.
A foreign government official was suspected of engaging in foreign interference aimed at the Liberal Party, the report claimed.
India-Canada Showdown
The increased scrutiny of India’s attempts to interfere in Canadian politics comes after nearly a year and a half of strained relations between the two countries.
In September 2023, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed Parliament, stating that there were “credible allegations” that agents of the Indian government were involved in the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar three months earlier.
Around the same time, Canada paused talks with India on a trade agreement, with negotiations yet to resume.
India has repeatedly denied all allegations related to Nijjar’s death.
In October, the RCMP revealed it had credible evidence linking Indian diplomats and consular officials to covert and serious criminal activities in Canada. These shocking allegations led to India and Canada both expelling diplomats.
