India Rejects Canadian Report on Interference, Claims Bias and Sikh Separatist Influence

According to the report, India and China pose the main foreign threats to Canada’s democratic institutions. India’s envoy to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, criticized the report as biased and lacking in evidence, arguing that it did not provide India a fair chance to cross-examine witnesses.

Verma’s remarks are India’s first formal response to the report, which has led to calls from opposition legislators in Canada for the government to reveal the names of those suspected of being involved. New Delhi accuses Canada of sheltering Sikh separatists who aim to establish an independent homeland in India, known as Khalistan.

Last year, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of being involved in the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed in British Columbia in June 2023. Verma suggested that Khalistani terrorists had influenced the report through their representatives in Canada.

The special committee of Canadian legislators responsible for the report defended its findings, stating that it consulted with the country’s intelligence agencies and reviewed 4,000 documents.

Prime Minister Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly deferred questions to the public safety ministry, which supported the committee’s independence. The World Sikh Organization of Canada condemned Verma’s comments as baseless, asserting that the committee operated independently.

Amid these tensions, Canada continues to urge India to cooperate with the investigation into Nijjar’s murder. Verma noted that Canada has not yet shared any evidence with India, despite media reports indicating that Canadian intelligence officials visited India twice this year. Last month,

Canadian police arrested and charged four Indian men in connection with Nijjar’s murder, leading to a halt in trade talks between the two nations.

Despite the diplomatic friction, bilateral trade between India and Canada remains robust, surpassing $25 billion in goods and services last year, with expectations for further growth this year.

However, the potential resumption of trade talks hinges on Canada’s approach, with Verma stating that India would reconsider its stance if Canada decided to resume negotiations.