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Indian agents reportedly attempted to influence Canada’s Conservative Party’s leadership race, escalating tensions between the two nations.
The fresh allegations resurfaced amid an ongoing general election campaign after The Globe and Mail reported, citing a source with top-security clearance, that Indian agents were involved in fundraising and outreach efforts within Canada’s South Asian community to support Pierre Poilievre’s 2022 Conservative Party leadership campaign.
Intelligence officials, however, found no evidence that Mr Poilievre or his team were aware of these alleged activities or that they influenced the election outcome. India has faced repeated accusations of election meddling in Canada, though it has consistently denied such claims.
Mr Poilievre, who is now the leader of the opposition and a candidate for prime minister, dismissed the allegations and insisted his victory was legitimate, calling the race “fair and square”.
He has also refused to obtain a security clearance, arguing that it would limit his ability to discuss national security issues openly. "What I will not do is commit to the oath of secrecy that the Liberals want to impose on me," Mr Poilievre said.
"They don't want me to speak about these matters, so they bring me into a dark room and they say: 'We're going to give you a little bit of bread crumbs of intel and then we'll tell you you can't talk about this stuff any more.'"
Liberal leader Mark Carney criticised Mr Poilievre’s refusal to undergo a security clearance process. “I find it downright irresponsible that the Leader of the Opposition day-after-day, month-after-month, year-after-year refuses to obtain a security clearance,” Mr Carney said.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has also warned that India and China are likely to attempt interference in Canada’s upcoming general election on 28 April, while Russia and Pakistan are also considered potential threats. Vanessa Lloyd, deputy director of operations at CSIS, highlighted the growing use of artificial intelligence in foreign interference efforts.
“The PRC (People’s Republic of China) is highly likely to use AI-enabled tools to attempt to interfere with Canada’s democratic process in this current election,” Ms Lloyd said during a press briefing, reported Reuters.
"We have also seen that the government of India has the intent and capability to interfere in Canadian communities and democratic processes to assert its geopolitical influence," she added.
A previous inquiry into foreign interference in Canadian elections found that both China and India had attempted to manipulate the 2019 and 2021 elections. While the impact of these efforts was deemed minimal, the report warned that disinformation posed a significant threat to Canada’s democratic institutions.
Relations between Canada and China have also worsened in recent weeks, with Beijing imposing tariffs on Canadian agricultural goods worth over $2.6bn. The move is seen as retaliation for Ottawa’s earlier levies on Chinese electric vehicles, steel, and aluminium. Additionally, Canada condemned China’s recent execution of four Canadian citizens on drug-related charges.
Earlier, Canada’s Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (SITE) task force has warned that foreign agents are likely to escalate disinformation campaigns during the current election season.
New Delhi in past has rejected the allegations, instead accusing Canada of meddling in India’s internal affairs. India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) criticised Ottawa in January this year for “enabling illegal migration and organised criminal activities”.
“It is, in fact, Canada that has been interfering in India’s internal matters,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, adding: "We reject the report's insinuations on India and expect that the support system enabling illegal migration will not be further countenanced.”
Tensions between the two countries have been high since Canada expelled six Indian diplomats last year, alleging their involvement in a plot against Sikh separatists.
India responded by expelling six Canadian diplomats. Relations further deteriorated after Ottawa accused India of links to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Sikh separatist in Canada.
In June last year, a report from Canada’s National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians ranked India as the second most active country in foreign electoral interference in Canada. The report noted that while Canada and India have long-standing ties, persistent diplomatic challenges have contributed to New Delhi’s alleged interference activities.
The Independent has reached out to Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, for comment.
Additional reporting by agencies
