New Delhi: A Canadian intelligence agency report has flagged Indian and Chinese attempts to interfere in Canada’s domestic politics by influencing diaspora communities and trying to get favourable individuals elected through illicit funding and disinformation campaigns.
The report submitted by Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) at a public inquiry into foreign interference alleged how the Indian government is “heavily involved” in undermining support for the Khalistan movement that seeks an independent Sikh state in Punjab, the Globe and Mail reported.
“The Gol [government of India] attempts to shape the final make up of Parliament through supporting individual pro-Gol candidates, including through interference in leadership and nomination contests,” said the document, titled Country Summaries.
According to the report, the Indian government may have attempted to get individuals sympathetic to their cause elected to office or gain influence over candidates who won.
“Gol 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-Gol candidates or gaining influence over candidates who take office,” the report said, adding that in some instances candidate may be unaware that their campaign received illicit funding.
It said that both India and China promote disinformation campaigns to “spread false narratives regarding certain elected officials”.
The report, which covers a six-year period from 2018-2024, does not mention allegations made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding India’s involvement in the killing of pro-Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June last year.
In September 2023, Trudeau had accused India of orchestrating the killing while addressing the Canadian parliament. The allegation led to a temporary freeze in diplomatic relations between the countries.
The CSIS report said Indian foreign-interference efforts also involve intimidation of lawful support of a separate Sikh state in Punjab, viewing anyone “engaged in Khalistani separatism as a seditious threat to India’s domestic stability.” CSIS said only a “relatively small number” of Canadian Sikhs promote violent extremism.
The report also alleged that India carries out foreign-interference activities against Canadians who hold prominent positions. “These activities undertaken by GoI have included clandestine, deceptive and coercive activity to achieve the strategic objections of GoI,” it said.
Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma said Canada needs to provide evidence supporting these allegation and that it did not do so when Truduea accused India of killing Nijjar.
“We had a similar unfortunate and politically motivated claim some one year ago and evidence is still awaited,” Verma told the Globe. “India being the world’s largest democracy does not engage in interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. On the other hand, we have witnessed Canadian Khalistani extremists, with some institutional support, interfering in India’s internal affairs, challenging its territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
The report – prepared with inputs from Canada’s Communications Security Establishment, the Department of Global Affairs, the Privy Council Office, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Department of Public Safety – also identifies Russia, Iran and Pakistan as countries that carry out foreign-interference activities in Canada.
The public inquiry has received intelligence documents and testimonies that point to China as the most serious foreign-interference threat to Canadian politics.