India second-biggest threat to Canadian democracy, claims govt report

A recent report by a high-level Canadian parliamentary panel has labelled India as the "second biggest foreign threat" to Canada's democracy after China.

The report further stated that the alleged interference by India has “slowly increased” over the years, adding that it has expanded beyond countering perceived pro-Khalistani efforts in Canada.

"India emerged as the second-most significant foreign interference threat to Canada’s democratic institutions and processes," said the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians report.

"While India’s foreign interference efforts have slowly increased, it became clear during the period of this review that its efforts had extended beyond countering what it perceived as pro-Khalistani efforts in Canada to include interfering in Canadian democratic processes and institutions, including through the targeting of Canadian politicians, ethnic media and Indo-Canadian ethnocultural communities," the report stated.

The report from the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, a cross-party group of MPs and senators with top security clearances, comes at a time when India-Canada ties are at an all-time low.

India and Canada's relations have taken a hit after Trudeau alleged last year that Indian government agents were allegedly involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a charge dismissed by New Delhi as “absurd”.

The report was submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office in May but tabled in Parliament, with redactions, this week.

It described China as “clearly the most prolific actor” in the context of foreign interference in Canadian democracy.