Canada accuses India of meddling in its elections
Ottawa: Canada has accused India and Pakistan of interfering in its elections, an accusation that India has strongly rejected, media reports said.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) released an unclassified summary as part of a federal investigation into possible foreign involvement, alleging secret activities by both India and Pakistan during the 2019 and 2021 general elections, reported NDTV.
India has unequivocally refuted these claims, labelling the investigation as ‘baseless’ and asserting that it is Canada that has been interfering in its internal matters.
According to the CSIS summary, there were coordinated efforts by India and Pakistan to influence Canada's electoral processes, the report said.
The CSIS documents claim that in 2021, the Indian government targeted specific electoral districts with a large number of Indian-origin voters sympathetic to the Khalistani movement or pro-Pakistan sentiments, it said.
The agency alleged that a government proxy may have attempted to manipulate democratic processes by providing undisclosed financial support to favoured candidates, it added.
Likewise, in 2019, representatives of the Pakistani government allegedly conducted covert operations to promote Pakistan's interests within Canada's political sphere.
Despite India’s denial of these allegations and its reassurance of its adherence to non-interference in other countries' democratic systems, Canada's investigation into foreign interference has heightened tensions in the already strained relationship between the two nations.
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