The Canadian Parliamentary Committee is set to launch an investigation into allegations that agents of the Indian government were involved in “electoral interference and criminal activities” in Canada.
During a meeting on Friday, members of the standing committee on public safety and national security in Canada unanimously agreed to conduct a study into the “electoral interference and violent criminal activities carried out by agents the Government of India,” Vancouver-based Global News reported.
According to the report, the committee will invite the country’s top ministers, such as Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, National Security Adviser Nathalie Drouin, and even Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Mike Duheme as part of this study.
What are the accusations against India?
Bilateral relations between India and Canada have reached an all-time low after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) publicly alleged this week that Indian diplomats were targeting Sikh separatists in Canada.
They claimed that Indian officials were sharing information about these activists with their government, which was then passed on to Indian organised crime groups. These groups allegedly targeted the activists, who are Canadian citizens, with drive-by shootings, extortion, and even murder.
They also linked Indian diplomats to the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023. Trudeau stated that his government had “clear and compelling evidence that agents of the government of India have engaged in, and continue to engage in, activities that pose a significant threat to public safety.
Meanwhile, in a series of retaliatory actions, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats, including the Indian High Commissioner to Canada, citing their involvement in threatening behaviour. In response, India expelled six senior Canadian diplomats.
New Delhi, for its part, has rejected the Canadian accusations as “ludicrous” and accused Trudeau of pursuing a “political agenda” aimed at securing domestic votes.
(With inputs from agancies)
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