India rejected “insinuations” levelled by a Canadian commission report of interference in Toronto’s elections by certain foreign governments. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also hit back at Canada’s interference in India’s internal affairs.
“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,” India’s statement shared by MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated.
“We reject the report’s insinuations on India and expect that the support system enabling illegal migration will not be further countenanced,” as per the statement.
India’s comments on a Canadian Commission’s report:
? https://t.co/MksX55h7kr pic.twitter.com/58jzrx1X9P
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) January 28, 2025
Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail had alleged that New Delhi used proxy agents to provide “clandestine financial support” to candidates from three political parties in a federal election. In this matter, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had named Justice Marie-Jose Hogue in September 2023 to head the commission of inquiry into the allegations of meddling in elections by China, Russia and others.
In June last year, Canada’s National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians issued a report that said some parliamentarians were witting or semi-witting participants in foreign meddling. “India is the second most active country engaging in electoral foreign interference in Canada. Like the PRC, India is a critical actor on the world stage. Canada and India have worked together for decades, but there are challenges in the relationship. Many of these are long standing and inform India’s foreign interference activities,” the report said.
The 123-page report also talked of expelling of six diplomats’ in October last year, dubbing them as ‘agents’. The report referred to the time when Canada on October 14, 2024 expelled six Indian diplomats after police collected evidence that they were part of an Indian government “campaign of violence”. India then expelled six Canadian diplomats hours after it summoned Canada’s Charge d’Affaires Stewart Wheeler and conveyed that the “baseless targeting” of the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats and officials in Canada was completely unacceptable.
The report also claimed that India spread disinformation regarding the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, however, the report contradicted itself by saying that Canada could not find a link to a foreign state on his killing. This allegation was strongly refuted by India in November last year, adding that such charges should be dismissed with the “contempt they deserve.” The Ministry of External Affairs further emphasised that “smear campaigns” like this only “further damage our already strained ties.”