Documents published by the foreign interference Thursday, investigation describes widespread threats and harassment against Canadian Sikhs by the government of Indiaa large part of which is coordinated by diplomatic missions.
Witnesses testified behind closed doors before the Hogue Commission that India threatened their families, spied on temples and meddled in Canadian elections, according to newly released documents.
India is “interfering in Canada’s affairs because there is no reason not to do so,” a witness told the commission, adding that “the Canadian government has been largely powerless in the face of this interference.”
“There were no consequences.”
THE documents summarize hundreds of written submissions received from Canadians during public consultations and meetings with more than 100 members of diaspora communities.
They included participants from China, Iran and Ukraine, but the statements from Sikh Canadians are particularly noteworthy because they provide a community perspective on the Indian government’s alleged tactics.
Indian foreign interference has seen “an acceleration” since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, with senior officials promising that “dissidents in other countries would be eliminated”, a witness said.
Canada has called India the second most serious threat of foreign interference to the country, behind China. The Indian campaign focuses largely on the Khalistan movement, which campaigns for independence for the Sikh-majority Punjab region.
In the documents, a witness said that after attending a protest outside the Indian High Commission in Ottawa, Indian police visited his family and threatened his mother and brother, who were forced to flee to Dubai.
Other witnesses described attempts to influence the election and alleged that India “exerts influence over the nomination process of Canadian political parties” and puts pressure on “red light” candidates critical of of the Republic of India, or KING.
“Some participants discussed the consequences faced by political candidates who publicly denounce the ROI’s human rights record or advocate for the interests of the Sikh community,” the commission wrote.
A candidate running for city council in an unnamed Canadian city has claimed he was targeted during the campaign by Indian government “bots and online agents.”
“Some participants described their experiences as being the target of coordinated disinformation and misinformation campaigns carried out on social media platforms and through online information environments, as well as associated online harassment,” said the commission.
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Elections at Sikh temples were another alleged target of Indian consulates, according to the documents, which also claimed that consulate officials routinely denied visa services to Sikh advocates attempting to travel to India.
According to one participant, “individuals’ visas are revoked, and then they are summoned to the Indian consulate to discuss the terms of their visa, including forms of cooperation with Indian authorities.”
He “gave an example in which an agent of the Indian consulate provided individuals who agreed to help a specific political candidate with assistance in obtaining visas,” the commission wrote.
Sikh Canadians fear that elected officials will act as agents of India or be manipulated by New Delhi, another participant said.
“One person suggested that background checks on potential political party nomination candidates be strengthened and that candidates be specifically screened for their affiliations with the government of the Republic of India,” the commission wrote.
Indian diplomatic missions should be prohibited from carrying out influence operations in temples “such as recruiting sources to gather intelligence on community members,” another witness said.
“Influence activities originating from or coordinated by Indian diplomatic missions across Canada were to be reduced,” according to the commission’s summary of testimony.
Another witness accused India of exploiting “police stations in Canada by appointing high-ranking law enforcement officials under the guise of diplomats.” …these police stations are putting pressure on Indian Canadians and threatening family members of Canadian activists in the Indian region.”
Witnesses called for more transparency from Canadian intelligence agencies and policymakers, as well as better ways to report incidents of Indian foreign interference and transnational repression.
A permanent task force is needed to investigate and counter foreign interference and “coordinate relevant agencies” while reporting its findings to the public, another witness suggested.
Those who have been warned by police that their lives are in danger “must also be offered some form of protection”. A community member said that “without this protection, people could remain silent for fear of being murdered on Canadian soil.”
On June 18, 2023, Sikh temple leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead in Surrey, British Columbia, in a killing that Canada blamed on the Indian government.
While New Delhi denies any involvement, the United States has accused an Indian intelligence official of allegedly plotting to kill one of Nijjar’s close aides, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
The RCMP alleged in October that Indian officials were behind not only Nijjar’s killing but also a wave of violence across Canada that included shootings, arson and extortion.
The attacks were allegedly approved by Modi’s right-hand man, Amit Shah, and orchestrated by Indian intelligence officials in cooperation with organized crime groups like the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
Canada expelled six diplomats over their role in the project last fall. They had been posted to Indian missions in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver.
India denies any involvement.
These allegations follow a Global News investigation which revealed how Indian authorities manipulated their travel visa system to exploit Canadians of Indian origin.
The Indian government responded to the December 10 Global News expose by claiming that the Canadian press was engaging in “disinformation” and “foreign interference” against India.
But investigation documents also shed light on the scheme, with one witness claiming that when he applied for a visa, he was asked to sign a pre-written letter, which he called a “form of harassment” and “interference operation”.