Canada broadens election meddling probe, includes India in official inquiry
Canada’s public inquiry into foreign interference will examine allegations that India sought to meddle in recent national elections, potentially inflaming already-elevated tensions between the two countries.
Canada's public inquiry on foreign interference will scrutinize claims that India attempted to intervene in recent national elections. This could further escalate existing tensions between the two nations, Bloomberg reported.
According to a Bloomberg report, last year, Canada's Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, initiated an inquiry following the leak of intelligence documents to the media. These documents alleged that China had interfered in Canada's elections by endorsing candidates sympathetic to President Xi Jinping's government. The inquiry is scheduled to commence its inaugural public hearings next week.
The report further stated that the inquiry commissioner has been assigned the responsibility of investigating possible interference in Canada's 2019 and 2021 elections by China, Russia, and various state and non-state entities. Although specific countries are not explicitly mentioned, national security officials have indicated that India and Iran are also considered significant sources of potential foreign meddling.
The commission confirmed Wednesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government will be investigated — according to a statement, the inquiry has requested information and documents related to alleged election interference. But it did not provide details about the allegations, Bloomberg reported.
In September, Trudeau garnered global attention by asserting that India was behind the murder of a Sikh activist on Canadian soil. Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian individual labelled as a terrorist by India due to his advocacy for an independent Sikh nation known as Khalistan, was fatally shot by masked assailants.
Bloomberg reported the allegation upended Canada-India relations. Modi’s administration forcefully denied the claim, calling it “absurd and motivated.” It temporarily suspended visas for Canadians and threatened to revoke the immunity of two-thirds of Canada’s diplomats, forcing them to leave India. Trade talks between the countries have been on pause for months.
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But Canada’s claim appeared to be reinforced in November when federal prosecutors in the US accused an Indian government agent of directing a thwarted plot to kill a Sikh separatist in New York. India struck a more cooperative tone with the US, saying it had convened a committee to look into the allegations.
The foreign interference inquiry is likely to further strain Canada’s relationships with India and China. Trudeau and Xi expelled one diplomat each in a tit-for-tat over the interference allegations that emerged last year. China has demanded Canada “stop hyping up China-related lies and false information.”
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The initial hearings will concentrate on the difficulties involved in revealing classified national security intelligence to the public. Notable speakers, including David Vigneault, the director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Agency, and Dominic LeBlanc, Canada's Public Safety Minister, are slated to address this aspect of the inquiry.
(With inputs from Bloomberg)
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First Published:25 Jan 2024, 06:39 AM IST
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