'Baseless': India rejects allegations of interference in Canada's elections

'We strongly reject all such baseless allegations of Indian interference in Canadian elections,' External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said

India has responded strongly to the allegations made by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) regarding its purported interference in the country's elections, denouncing the accusations as "baseless". The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has issued a statement dismissing Canada's claims and highlighting what it perceives as hypocrisy on Ottawa's part.

Addressing the CSIS report, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the allegations were “baseless”. He added that the core issue is Ottawa's interference in New Delhi's affairs in the past.

“We have seen media reports about the Canadian commission enquiring into ...We strongly reject all such baseless allegations of Indian interference in Canadian elections," Jaiswal said.

“It is not the government of India's policy to interfere in the democratic processes of other countries. In fact, quite the opposite, it is Canada which has been interfering in our internal affairs,” he added.

What did the CSIS report say?

The CSIS report, being examined by the Federal Commission of Inquiry, discusses the potential interference of foreign nations, including India, Pakistan, China, and Russia, in Canada's elections in 2019 and 2021.

In 2021, the Government of India had "intent to interfere and likely conducted clandestine activities," including using an Indian government proxy agent in Canada, the CSIS alleged in the documents.

The Canadian spy agency also claimed that in 2021, the Indian government conducted foreign interference activities, focusing on a limited number of electoral districts.

According to the CSIS document, India targeted these districts due to a perceived notion that "a portion of Indo-Canadian voters were sympathetic to the Khalistani movement or pro-Pakistan political stances".

The CSIS has amassed "a body of intelligence" that indicates a Government of India "proxy agent may have attempted to interfere in democratic processes" by providing illegal financial support to pro-Indian candidates, the document said.

However, David Vigneault, the director of CSIS, cautioned the inquiry that the allegations outlined in the report should not be regarded as established facts and instead warrant further investigation. The inquiry noted that the information in the report seems to be either uncorroborated, based on a single source, or incomplete.