Canada Accuses India of Foreign Interference and Espionage
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has accused India, along with China, Russia, and Iran, of engaging in foreign interference and espionage activities in Canada and other Western countries. This accusation comes from the CSIS's 2023 public report, released this week.
The report highlights that these countries and their intelligence services have been involved in various hostile activities in Canada to advance their own objectives and interests. These activities are defined as "foreign-influenced activities" under the CSIS Act, which are actions detrimental to Canada's interests that are clandestine, deceptive, or threaten individuals.
The report specifically mentions cyber activities against Canada by India-aligned non-state actors following the deterioration of bilateral relations between the two countries. However, it clarifies that there is no indication that the Indian government was directly responsible for these incidents.
This deterioration in relations stems from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's announcement in September 2023, which linked agents of the Indian government to the killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. This accusation further strained ties between the two countries.
Furthermore, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) disclosed a legal document in November implicating an individual named Nikhil Gupta in a murder-for-hire plot with a government official from India. The target of the alleged plot was a dual citizen of the US and Canada residing in New York.
The CSIS report also references alleged interference by India during the 2019 and 2021 elections in Canada. The Public Inquiry on Foreign Interference in January 2024 requested that the collection and production of documents by the Government of Canada include information related to India's purported interference in these elections.