India has sternly responded to the allegations put forth by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), dismissing claims of intervention in Canada's elections as baseless. According to a report from PTI, India's Ministry of External Affairs has released a statement rejecting the charges from Ottawa and accusing them of duplicity. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized that interference in another country's democratic processes is not aligned with New Delhi's policies.
During a press briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal noted, 'We have seen media reports about the investigatory findings of the Canadian commission... We strongly repudiate all such baseless accusations of Indian interference in Canadian elections. In fact, on the contrary, it is Canada that has been interfering in our internal affairs.'
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What Accusations has the Canadian Intelligence Agency Made Against India?
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has suggested in a document that the Federal Inquiry Commission is investigating potential foreign interferences in the nation's elections from 2019 to 2021 by countries such as India, Pakistan, China, and Russia. The documents allege 'In 2021, there was an intended interference by the Indian government in Canada, including the use of a proxy agent of the Indian government, potentially conducting covert activities.'
The Canadian spy agency further claimed that the Indian government conducted activities in 2021 focused on constituencies with close election results. CSIS documents stated the Indian government targeted those districts because of a perception that a segment of Canadian voters of Indian origin sympathizes with the Khalistan movement or pro-Pakistan political stances.
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Director of Canadian Intelligence Agency Doubts the Report
The documents assert that CSIS has gathered 'intelligence information' indicating that India's 'proxy agent' may have attempted to meddle in the democratic processes by providing illegal financial aid to pro-India candidates. However, CSIS Director David Vigneault has said that the allegations mentioned in the CSIS report should not be taken as facts, and the case necessitates a thorough investigation as the information presented appears to be unverified or incomplete.
