Canada report claims India trying to influence politics over Khalistan concerns

Amid a diplomatic row between India and Canada, an independent public inquiry led by Ottawa's commissioner has claimed that India was attempting to influence Canadian politicians amid its concerns over Khalistani separatists in the country.

According to the findings in the interim report by commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue, Indian officials, including Canada-based proxies, engage in a range of activities that seek to influence Canadian communities and politicians to "align" Ottawa's position with New Delhi's interests on issues like Khalistani separatists.

The report also claimed that there was evidence of foreign interference in Canada's last two federal elections, in 2019 and 2021. However, the poll results were not affected, and the electoral system was robust, it said.

WHAT CANADA's REPORT ON INDIA SAYS

The 194-page report mentioned India a total of 43 times.

"India's interest in Canada relates to Canada's large South Asian community. India views part of these communities as fostering an anti-India sentiment, and represents a threat to India's stability and national security," the report, published on Friday, said.

The report flagged that India viewed anyone aligned with Khalistani separatism as a "seditious threat" to the country.

"India does not differentiate between lawful pro-Khalistani political advocacy and the relatively small Canada-based Khalistani violent extremism," the report said.

The Canadian report also alleged that targets of Indian foreign interference were often members of the Indo-Canadian communities. "But, prominent non-Indo-Canadians are also subject to India's foreign influence activities," it said.

These activities may not be directed at influencing Canada's democratic institutions, but are still significant, it said.

"Indian officials in Canada have increasingly relied on Canadian and Canadian-based proxies and the contacts in their networks to conduct foreign interference. This obfuscates any explicit link between India and foreign interference activities. Proxies liaise and work with Indian intelligence officials in India and in Canada, taking both explicit and implicit directions from them," it said.

The report said that Indian proxy agents might have attempted to interfere in the 2019 and 2021 general elections.

"A body of intelligence indicates that Indian proxy agents may have attempted to interfere in democratic processes, reportedly including through the clandestine provision of illicit financial support to various Canadian politicians as a means of attempting to secure the election of pro-India candidates or gaining influence over candidates who take office," the report said.

In some instances, the candidates might never know their campaigns received illicit funds. There was no indication of Indian-based disinformation campaigns in the 2021 general election, the report said.

CHINA 'MAIN PERPETRATOR'

The report also said the People's Republic of China (PRC) stands out as the main perpetrator of foreign interference against Canada.

"China has been assessed by Canadian authorities as the most active foreign state actor engaged in interference directed at government officials, political organisations, candidates for political office and diaspora communities," it said.

INDIA-CANADA DIPLOMATIC ROW

India has previously rejected allegations of its interference in Canadian elections as "baseless" and asserted that the core issue has been Ottawa's meddling in New Delhi's internal affairs.

In a February briefing, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry said, "We strongly reject all such baseless allegations of Indian interference in Canadian elections."

"It is not the government of India's policy to interfere in the democratic processes of other countries. In fact, quite on the reverse, it is Canada which has been interfering in our internal affairs," Jaiswal said in response to a question.

India has been asserting that its "core issue" with Canada remains that of the space given to separatists, terrorists and anti-India elements in that country.

Ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September last year of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

New Delhi rejected Trudeau's charges as "absurd".

Days after Trudeau's allegations, India asked Ottawa to downsize its diplomatic presence in the country to ensure parity.

Subsequently, Canada withdrew 40 diplomats and their family members from India. Following Trudeau's allegations last year, India temporarily suspended the issuance of visas to Canadian citizens. The visa services were resumed several weeks later.