Canadian government leaks 'sensitive information' involving India to US newspaper
- In Reports
- 04:38 PM, Oct 23, 2024
- Myind Staff
Tensions between Canada and India have escalated following allegations linking Indian government agents to violent criminal activities in Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has faced scrutiny after it was reported that his national security advisor, Nathalie Drouin, and Deputy Minister at Global Affairs, David Morrison, briefed The Washington Post on sensitive intelligence regarding India's interference operations just days before the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) made public accusations against India.
During an RCMP press conference on October 14, Commissioner Mike Duheme revealed evidence of Indian officials’ involvement in violent crimes, although no specific details were shared. The timing of The Post’s article, published the same day, raised concerns, as it cited unnamed Canadian officials linking India to the September 20 killing of Sikh leader Sukhdool Singh Gill in Winnipeg. The article further claimed that India’s Home Affairs Minister, Amit Shah, had authorised violent operations against Sikh separatists in Canada. However, the RCMP did not confirm any connection between Gill’s murder and Indian officials nor did it substantiate the additional details reported by The Post.
In response to the leak, Daniel Savoie, spokesperson for the Privy Council, stated, “None of the information in the public domain that has been reported on is the result of classified intelligence.” This statement comes amid criticism from former senior Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) official Dan Stanton, who indicated that information about Gill’s killing and its potential links to Indian officials would likely have been classified and not shared without proper authorisation.
This controversy follows Trudeau’s earlier allegations in September 2023, accusing India of involvement in the murder of another Sikh leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Surrey, British Columbia. Shortly after these allegations surfaced, Sukhdool Singh Gill was found dead in his home, also deemed a homicide, though details about the case remain undisclosed. In the aftermath, both nations recalled diplomats, with India temporarily suspending visa operations in Canada.
On October 12, during a high-level meeting in Singapore, Canadian officials confronted India’s national security advisor, Ajit Doval, with evidence of India’s alleged involvement in violent acts within Canada. Doval denied any connections to the killings. Canadian authorities have since arrested six individuals in relation to Nijjar’s death, while maintaining that Indian agents “threatened public safety in Canada.” In a statement made during the October 14 press conference, Trudeau asserted that Indian agents had engaged in “clandestine information-gathering techniques, coercive behaviour targeting South Asian Canadians, and involvement in over a dozen threatening and violent acts, including murder.” He emphasised that while the evidence gathered by the RCMP could not be publicly disclosed, it was critical and could not be ignored.
Following these serious allegations, Ottawa expelled six Indian diplomats, including High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma, prompting India to retaliate by expelling six Canadian diplomats. India’s Ministry of External Affairs responded forcefully, stating, “The Government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and attributes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Government, which is centred around vote-bank politics.” The ministry further asserted, “The Trudeau Government has consciously provided space to violent extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten, and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada.” It concluded by placing the blame for the damage to India-Canada relations solely on Prime Minister Trudeau’s “cavalier behaviour.”
Comments