Canada again accuses India of ‘interference’ in elections: What we know so far

Canada continues to accuse India, among other countries, of interfering in the country's election process. Months after India rejected the Canadian report on election meddling, Canada's spy service has alleged that China and India are likely to try to interfere in the upcoming Canadian general election.

The accusation comes amid strained ties between the two nations over Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing. While Canada is looking to rebuild strained ties with India, the case has been a serious bone of contention in the diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Canada will go to the polls on April 28, 2025. The election comes as the country faces a trade war with the US and calls from US President Donald Trump for it to become the 51st American state.

Canada election meddling: What the latest report claims

The fresh allegations were made during a press conference on March 25 by Vanessa Lloyd, the deputy director of operations at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).

She said that "hostile state actors" were increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence to meddle in the polls, which were announced by the new Prime Minister, Mark Carney, on Sunday.

Apart from India, Lloyd also named China, Russia and Pakistan, accusing the countries of making attempts to interfere with this election campaign, Canadian media Globe and Mail reported.

"We have also seen that the government of India has the intent and capability to interfere in Canadian communities and democratic processes," she was quoted by Reuters as saying.

In another report, Globe and Mail cited a "source with top-secret clearance" as saying that "agents" of India and their proxies allegedly meddled in the 2022 election of Pierre Poilievre as Conservative Party leader.

Neither India nor Canada has responded to the spy agency's charges so far.

Not the first time…

This is not the first time Canada has accused India of election interference.

In January, a Canadian report by public inquiry stated that proxy agents clandestinely provided “illicit financial support to various Canadian politicians in an attempt to secure the election of pro-India candidates or gain influence over candidates who take office”.

India rejected the "insinuations" in the Canadian commission's report that certain foreign governments interfered in Ottawa's elections.

How India responded earlier to Canadian allegations

In a strong-worded statement, India rejected the Canadian Commission’s report that accused the Indian 'agents' of interfering in Canada's elections.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has blamed Canada for consistently interfering in India's internal affairs.

"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 organised criminal activities. We reject the report's insinuations on India and expect that the support system enabling illegal migration will not be further countenanced," the MEA's statement read.

The Indian diplomatic mission in Ottawa was not immediately available for comment, Reuters reported on Monday.

India-Canada ties strain

The diplomatic ties between Canada and India were strained after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in Parliament in September 2023. Trudeau had stated that his government was "actively pursuing credible allegations" linking Indian government agents to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar on its soil.

Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed outside the Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023.

India had dismissed the claims as “absurd and motivated”. The Ministry of External Affairs said earlier that the “unsubstantiated allegations” sought to shift focus away from “Khalistani terrorists and extremists who have been provided shelter in Canada”.

Last year, Canada and India each expelled six diplomats, including the heads of mission, in tit-for-tat moves.