NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday rejected a report by the Canadian Commission alleging the interference of the Indian government in Canada’s elections.
The ministry of external affairs accused Canada of “consistently interfering in India’s internal affairs” and said that this has created an environment for illegal migration and organized criminal activities.
“We have seen a report about alleged activities on purported interference. It is in fact Canada which has been consistently interfering in India’s internal affairs. This has also created an environment for illegal migration and organized criminal activities. We reject the report’s insinuations on India and expect that the support system enabling illegal migration will not be further countenanced,” the MEA said in a statement.
Earlier Canadian government released a report, claiming that China and India tried to interfere in Canada’s elections.
The report claimed that India was identified as the second-most active country engaging in electoral foreign interference in Canada. While Hogue’s initial report in May pointed to China as the “most persistent and sophisticated foreign interference threat to Canada,” the commissioner’s final report lays out the ways in which India has become the “second most active country engaging in electoral foreign interference in Canada,” according to the CTV news.
“Like the PRC (People’s Republic of China), India conducts foreign interference through diplomatic officials in Canada and through proxies,” Hogue wrote. “A body of intelligence indicates that proxy agents may have, and may continue to be, clandestinely providing illicit financial support to various Canadian politicians in an attempt to secure the election of pro-India candidates or gain influence over candidates who take office.”
“The intelligence does not necessarily indicate that the elected officials or candidates involved were aware of the interference attempts, or that the attempts necessarily succeeded,” CTV news quoted her as writing.