India dismisses claims of election interference in Canada as 'baseless'

PTC News Desk: India has vehemently rejected accusations by Canada's spy agency CSIS, claiming interference in Canadian elections. The Ministry of External Affairs labeled the allegations as "baseless" and criticised Ottawa for what it perceives as hypocrisy.

Responding to the CSIS report, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal refuted the claims, asserting that the real issue lies in Ottawa's historical interference in New Delhi's internal matters. Jaiswal emphasised during a press briefing, "We strongly reject all such baseless allegations of Indian interference in Canadian elections."

Furthermore, Jaiswal highlighted that it is not India's policy to meddle in the democratic processes of other nations. On the contrary, he suggested that Canada has been the one interfering in India's internal affairs. The statement underscores India's firm stance against the accusations and its insistence on mutual respect for sovereignty.

Key points from the CSIS report:

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) report, under examination by the Federal Commission of Inquiry, highlights potential interference by foreign nations such as India, Pakistan, China, and Russia in Canada's elections in 2019 and 2021.

In 2021, the CSIS alleges that the Indian government displayed intent to interfere and likely engaged in clandestine activities, including the purported use of an Indian government proxy agent within Canada. The CSIS claims that in 2021, the Indian government conducted foreign interference activities primarily focused on specific electoral districts. These districts were targeted due to India's perception that some Indo-Canadian voters sympathised with the terrorist movement or held pro-Pakistan political views.

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According to the CSIS document, there is accumulated intelligence suggesting that a government of India proxy agent may have attempted to interfere in democratic processes by providing illicit financial support to pro-Indian candidates.

However, CSIS Director David Vigneault cautioned that the allegations outlined in the report should not be considered as established facts and require further investigation. The information presented in the report is described as uncorroborated, single-sourced, or incomplete, as per the inquiry's findings.

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(Inputs from agencies)