OTTAWA, June 19 (Alliance News): India is actively involved in foreign interference operations in Canada, according to a newly released intelligence report by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), just one day after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held seemingly productive talks during the G7 summit in Alberta.
The report, which casts a shadow over the recent thaw in strained diplomatic ties, says India has engaged in “transnational repression” and influence campaigns targeting Canadian politicians and communities—particularly the Sikh diaspora advocating for Khalistan, a proposed independent Sikh state.
While the report identifies China as the most significant counter-intelligence threat to Canada, it also points to foreign influence activities by Russia, Iran, Pakistan—and notably, India.
“Indian officials, including their Canada-based proxy agents, engage in a range of activities that seek to influence Canadian communities and politicians,” the report stated, accusing New Delhi of attempting to align Canadian policies with its own interests on sensitive issues.
The intelligence findings come just hours after Carney and Modi pledged to restore diplomatic relations, including reinstating top-level diplomats withdrawn in 2023 after Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, publicly accused India of involvement in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar—a Canadian Sikh leader and advocate for Khalistan.
India has repeatedly denied any involvement in Nijjar’s killing and accused Canada of harboring Sikh separatists and extremists.
Despite Carney’s overtures to rebuild trust with India, his invitation to Modi to the G7 summit sparked backlash from sections of Canada’s Sikh community, who remain critical of India’s human rights record and allegations of overseas repression.
The CSIS report notes that threats and intimidation against Sikh activists have been documented by law enforcement. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) disclosed last year that they had investigated more than a dozen threats targeting pro-Khalistan figures in Canada.
Neither the Indian High Commission nor the Chinese embassy in Ottawa has issued a response to the report.
As bilateral relations between India and Canada attempt a reset, the revelations in the intelligence dossier risk reigniting tensions over sovereignty, freedom of speech, and transnational repression—issues likely to dominate future diplomatic exchanges between the two nations.
