Allegations have surfaced suggesting that India and Pakistan attempted to influence Canada's federal elections in both 2019 and 2021, as per a report by the Canadian spy agency released on Friday. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) disclosed an unclassified summary indicating interference attempts, which was presented during the Federal Commission of Inquiry investigating potential meddling by several nations including China, India, and Russia in the said elections.
The document reveals that both India and Pakistan made efforts to intervene in Canada's electoral process, as reported by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. India has vehemently denied these accusations, labeling them as "baseless," and instead pointed fingers at Ottawa for meddling in its internal affairs.
Canadian media has reported that the federal commission is scrutinizing allegations of Indian interference in the past two general elections. India's External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, rejected these claims, emphasizing that it's not India's policy to interfere in other countries' democratic processes and accused Canada of meddling in its internal affairs.
In 2021, the CSIS alleged that the Indian government exhibited an "intent to interfere" and likely engaged in clandestine activities, including using proxy agents in Canada. Similarly, in 2019, Pakistani officials in Canada were accused of attempting to influence Canadian federal politics to serve Pakistan's interests.
The CSIS further asserts that in 2021, India's interference activities were concentrated in specific electoral districts due to a perception that some Indo-Canadian voters sympathized with the Khalistani movement or pro-Pakistan stances. The agency claims to have gathered intelligence indicating that Indian proxy agents may have provided illegal financial support to pro-Indian candidates.
However, the CSIS Director cautioned that intelligence may require further investigation, and the summaries presented could be uncorroborated or incomplete. While the inquiry primarily focused on alleged foreign interference by China, documents also mentioned Pakistan and India's involvement.
A summary of a meeting between CSIS and the Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections in October 2022 highlighted China and India as the two main state actors involved in the previous election. Moreover, a public summary of a classified CSIS briefing from June 2019 listed India and Pakistan among other potential state actors capable of meddling in Canada's affairs.
Relations between India and Canada soured following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in 2023 regarding the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India refuted these allegations, accusing Canada of providing a platform for Khalistani extremists and temporarily suspending visa issuance to Canadian citizens while urging Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence in India.
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