No India Interference In 2021 Polls Won By Trudeau: Canada Inquiry

New Delhi:

An official investigation into the allegations of foreign meddling in Canada elections has concluded that India didn’t try to interfere in the Canadian politics.

A panel of senior Canadian officials monitoring the 2021 elections in the country were not informed of any attempt by India to influence national polls, the probe found. 

“I do not believe during the 2021 election that we saw evidence of Government of India using those tools in the campaign,” a poll official told the probe panel. 

However, the Canadian intelligence agency found that China did interfere in Canada’s last two elections, according to testimony in an official probe.

This comes days after Canada Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) alleged that India and Pakistan attempted to interfere in the Canadian elections that took place in 2019 and 2021.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party won both the elections, held in 2019 and 2021. Under pressure from opposition legislators unhappy about media reports on China’s possible role, Trudeau set up a commission into foreign interference.

Trudeau is scheduled to testify before the probe panel today. 

India had earlier refuted the claims and assured its commitment to non-interference in other nations’ democratic processes.

“We have seen media reports about the Canadian commission enquiring into …We strongly reject all such baseless allegations of Indian interference in Canadian elections,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in February.

“It is not the government of India’s policy to interfere in the democratic processes of other countries. In fact, quite on the reverse, it is Canada which has been interfering in our internal affairs,” he added.

Canada’s inquiry into foreign meddling has escalated tensions in already strained ties between the two countries. 

Trudeau’s previous allegations of Indian involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil have become a flashpoint in bilateral relations between the two nations. 

Despite India’s dismissal of these allegations as absurd, the fallout resulted in diplomatic repercussions.