Top Canadian officials have reportedly admitted to leaking sensitive details regarding India’s foreign interference to The Washington Post, but these specifics were not disclosed to Canadians, according to The Globe and Mail. This revelation comes amid escalating tensions between Canada and India, particularly following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s accusation of the Indian government’s involvement in the killing of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

As per the report, Nathalie Drouin, Trudeau's national security and intelligence adviser, has confirmed that she leaked information about the Indian government’s alleged role in murder, extortion, and coercion to The Washington Post, which was not shared with the Canadian public. During a Commons public safety committee meeting on Tuesday, Drouin stated she did not need Trudeau’s authorisation for the leak and emphasised that no classified intelligence was provided to the U.S. publication the day before Ottawa expelled six Indian diplomats on Thanksgiving Day, October 13.

On October 14, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme noted that "India was involved in the killing of three people, but he only identified the slaying of Nijjar." He mentioned that "eight people have been charged with murder and 22 with extortion," specifying that four Indian nationals have been charged in connection with Nijjar’s killing outside a Sikh temple.

Drouin explained that the leaking of sensitive information was "part of a communications strategy" developed with Deputy Foreign Minister David Morrison to ensure a major U.S. publication conveyed Canada’s perspective on the ongoing foreign interference dispute with India. She affirmed that "the communications strategy was seen by the Prime Minister's Office," adding, "We provided non-classified information on the actions we had taken to cooperate with India and explain how the evidence showed links to the government of India conducting illegal activities against Canadians, including threats to their lives."

She also denied allegations of releasing classified information to The Washington Post and stated that "she provided a similar briefing to federal opposition leaders as she did with the Post." Drouin’s involvement in the alleged leak surfaced following a report by The Globe and Mail.

However, her admission has drawn criticism from the opposition. Conservative MP Raquel Dancho questioned why the Prime Minister, his Foreign Affairs and Public Safety ministers, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had not shared this information with the public during the expulsion of the six Indian diplomats. She remarked, "In fact, Canadians wouldn't know unless they were able to read The Washington Post. I just find it quite unfair to the Canadian public that details were released in advance to The Washington Post but not provided to Canada."

Responding to Dancho's inquiries, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme explained that he did not disclose the information reported by The Washington Post because it could impact ongoing criminal investigations. "It is information as part of an investigation that normally we like to keep within but sometimes we do release some information," he said. "I didn't think at that point that it was relevant, that specific information, and again, I wasn't part of the conversation with The Washington Post."

According to The Globe, the RCMP approached the government in late August to initiate efforts to persuade India to cease its hostile foreign interference. Drouin noted that the RCMP requested to travel to New Delhi on October 8 to present evidence, but India "used an administrative technicality to block this meeting." Instead, the RCMP travelled to Washington on October 10, where "while an Indian officer confirmed the meeting, they never showed up."

Earlier this month, India recalled six diplomats from Canada after they were labelled "persons of interest" by the Canadian government in the investigation into Nijjar’s killing. Nijjar, who held Canadian citizenship, was shot outside a Gurdwara in Surrey in June last year and was designated a terrorist by the National Investigation Agency in 2020.

Relations between India and Canada have soured since Trudeau alleged in Parliament last year that there were "credible allegations" of India’s involvement in Nijjar's killing. India has refuted these claims, calling them "absurd" and "motivated," and has accused Canada of providing a platform for extremist and anti-India elements within its borders. Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is investigating six cases involving designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, who holds both American and Canadian citizenship.