New Delhi: India has strongly rejected a Canadian report alleging Indian interference in Canada’s elections, calling it baseless and accusing Canada of consistently meddling in India’s internal matters. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) dismissed the claims, stating that Ottawa’s actions have facilitated illegal migration and organized criminal activities.
“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. We reject the report’s insinuations on India and expect that the support system enabling illegal migration will not be further countenanced,” the MEA said in an official statement.
The Canadian Commission’s report claimed that India was the second most active foreign actor in interfering with Canada’s electoral process after China. The report also referenced Canada’s expulsion of six Indian diplomats in October 2024, alleging they were linked to a “campaign of violence” orchestrated by the Indian government. India had swiftly retaliated by expelling six Canadian diplomats, denouncing the accusations as “completely unacceptable.”
Additionally, the report accused India of spreading disinformation regarding the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. However, it contradicted itself by admitting that no definitive link to a foreign state had been found in Nijjar’s death. India had previously dismissed these allegations as part of a “smear campaign” damaging already strained bilateral ties.
Tensions between India and Canada have been escalating since Nijjar’s killing in June 2023 outside a Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia. India had designated Nijjar a terrorist, while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s public accusations against India further deepened the diplomatic rift.
As relations between the two nations continue to deteriorate, India has reiterated its demand that Canada stop harboring anti-India elements and refrain from interfering in its domestic affairs.
