New Delhi: Canada’s inquiry into foreign intelligence interference will scrutinise India, as the head of the Commission seeks documents regarding the possible involvement of the Indian government in the last two federal elections.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions announced that it has requested the Canadian government to provide information related to the Indian government.
“Pursuant to its Terms of Reference, the Foreign Interference Commission has requested that the Government of Canada’s collection and production of document relating to paragraphs clause (a)(i)(A) and (a)(i)(B) of its Terms of Reference include information and documents relating to alleged interference by India related to the 2019 and 2021 elections,” said the press note.
When the Commission was launched in September 2023, it had explicitly mentioned that it would examine the interference by China and Russia, as well as, unnamed “foreign actors” may have engaged in the elections in the first phase.
With this press release issued on Wednesday, the Commission, headed by a Judge, makes it clear that role of India is also part of it.
Last September, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau had publicly accused India of being behind the shooting of a Canadian citizen, Harpreet Singh Nijjar, who was proscribed as Khalistani terrorist by Indian security agencies.
After Ottawa went public, a political ally, New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh had written to the Commission to look into India having influenced elections through its large diaspora, just like China.
India had vehemently denied the accusation, with both countries expelling a diplomat each. India had also stopped visa services for Canadian nationals, which it resumed after about a month. New Delhi also asked Canada to cut down its diplomatic presence so that there is parity, which led Ottawa to withdraw over 40 diplomats.
Even as relations with Canada continued to be in the freezer, US federal prosecutors announced in November that there was a possible link between the killing of Nijjar and the foiling of a plant to kill a Canadian American Khalistani supporter in New York.
An unsealed indictment accused an Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, currently in Czech custody, of attempting to hire a hitman to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, a lawyer for Sikhs for Justice, a group banned by India.
As per the charges, Gupta was allegedly told to hire the hitman, who was an undercover operative, on the instructions of an Indian government agent.
The Canadian Commission will release an interim report due by May 3, and deliver its final report by the end of this year.