India dismisses Canadian allegations of election interference as 'baseless'

India has rejected allegations made by Canada regarding interference in its elections, dismissing them as "baseless,” emphasizing that India maintains a strict policy against meddling in the democratic processes of other nations.

In a press briefing held on Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, targeted Ottawa, asserting that it is Canada itself that has been meddling in India's internal affairs. He pointed out that India has consistently raised this issue with Canadian authorities and urged them to take concrete steps to address India's concerns.

The tension between the two nations escalated after the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) released a confidential report alleging foreign interference in Canada's federal elections. The report implicated China in clandestine and deceptive attempts to influence the elections, while also naming India as a foreign interference threat.

According to the classified briefing document obtained by Global News, the CSIS highlighted the significant and pervasive nature of China's interference activities across various levels of Canadian governance and civil society. The report emphasized the urgency for the Canadian government to intensify efforts in combating foreign interference.

While India was the only other country mentioned in the report besides China, significant portions discussing India were later redacted, leaving only a brief mention of India engaging in foreign interference activities.

Relations between India and Canada had already strained in September 2023 when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested in Parliament that the Indian government might have been involved in the murder of a Khalistani separatist in Canada earlier that year.