India rejected Canada’s allegations that New Delhi interfered in Canadian democratic processes. The ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal strongly rejected the allegations and called them baseless.
“We have seen media reports (of) Canadian commission inquiring into foreign interferences. We strongly reject such baseless allegations of Indian interference in Canadian elections, it is not the government of India’s policy to interfere in the democratic process of other countries,” Randhir Jaiswal said during a regular press briefing.
Jaiswal said it is the reverse and accused Canada of interfering in India’s internal affairs. “In fact, quite the reverse, it is Canada who has been interfering in our internal affairs. We have been raising this issue regularly with them, and we continue to call on Canada to take effective measures to address our core concerns,” Jaiswal said, according to news agency ANI.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the country’s highest foreign intelligence agency, in a recent report alleged that India potentially interfered in the country’s election.
The report named India as a ‘foreign interference threat’ and instructed the government to do more to “protect Canada’s robust democratic institutions and processes”.
China and Russia are the other two countries already facing charges of meddling in Canadian politics.
The report titled Briefing to the Minister of Democratic Institutions on Foreign Interference identifies China as the biggest threat to Canadian democracy.
Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister, last month said Canadian authorities would examine the alleged Indian interference in its last two general elections, in 2019 and 2021.
Bilateral ties between India and Canada reached a new low last year when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that India played a role in the killing of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Nijjar was murdered by unknown assailants outside a gurdwara’s parking lot in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.
Justin Trudeau, while addressing a parliament, said agencies have launched a probe and he has credible information that India was involved. India has dismissed the allegations and termed them baseless.
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