Release notes are abnormal interference Thursday’s investigation details the threats and harassment of Canadian Sikhs by the government Indiamost of them are managed by diplomatic missions.
Witnesses told the Hogue Commission behind closed doors that India threatened their families, spied on temples and interfered in Canadian elections, according to newly released documents.
India is “interfering with Canada because there is no reason to stop it,” one witness told the commission, adding that “the Canadian government has been powerless in the face of interference.”
“There are no consequences.”
The documents summarize what Canadians received during interviews with over 100 people from the surrounding area.
They also included Chinese, Iranian and Ukrainians, but the claims of Sikh Canadians are the most important, providing a community perspective on the Indian government’s strategic policy.
India’s foreign policy has seen an “acceleration” since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, with officials vowing that “internationalism will be removed,” one witness said.
Canada has named India as the country’s second most disruptive threat, behind China. The Indian campaign focuses on the Khalistan movement, which advocates for independence in the Sikh-majority Punjab region.
In these documents, a witness said that after protesting 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 also described attempts to interfere in the election, saying India “has influence over the selection of political parties in Canada,” and forcing candidates to “red light” opposition to the Republic of India, or ROI.
“Some attendees discussed the consequences faced by political representatives who challenge ROI’s record of human rights or representatives of the Sikh community,” the committee wrote.
A candidate who ran for municipal council in an unnamed Canadian city is said to be being monitored during the campaign by “bots and agents” of the Indian government.
“Some of the attendees described their experiences as targets of campaigns related to false and fake news on social media and online news, as well as cyberbullying,” the agency said.
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Sikh temple elections were another target of Indian embassies, according to the report, which also said that embassies regularly denied visas to Sikh representatives trying to travel to India.
According to the participants, “people have their passports confiscated, and then they are called to the Indian embassy to discuss their passports, including ways to work with the Indian authorities.”
“He gave an example of how an Indian consul was giving visas to people who had agreed to help a political figure,” the committee wrote.
Canadian Sikhs are concerned that elected officials may be acting as proxies for India, or being controlled by New Delhi, one said.
“One person suggested that the front-end information of candidates for political parties should be strengthened and that candidates should be screened especially for their affiliation with the government of the Republic of India,” the organization wrote.
The Indian ministry should be banned from doing temple work “like recruiting people from the community,” one witness said.
“Persuasive activities originating from or directed by Indian embassies in Canada should be curtailed,” according to a summary of the evidence.
Another witness accused India of using “Canada’s police stations to appoint law enforcement officials dressed as diplomats.” … these police forces force Indians and threaten relatives of Canadian freedom fighters in ROI. “
The witnesses demanded more transparency from Canadian law enforcement and decision-makers, as well as better reporting systems on Indian interference and international oppression.
A permanent task force is needed to investigate and deal with foreign interference and “coordinate the relevant agencies” while reporting their findings to the public, another witness said.
Those who have been warned by the police that their lives are in danger “should also be protected.” A local person said that “without this protection, people can remain silent for fear of being killed in Canada.”
On June 18, 2023, Sikh temple leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead in Surrey, BC, in a killing that Canada blamed on the Indian government.
Despite New Delhi’s denial of involvement, the US has accused an Indian intelligence officer of allegedly plotting to kill Nijjar’s close friend, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
The RCMP said in October that Indian officials were behind not only Nijjar’s murder but also violence in Canada that included shootings, arson and looting.
The attacks were allegedly approved by Modi’s right-hand man, Amit Shah, and planned by Indian law enforcement officials in collaboration with organized crime groups such as the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
Canada has expelled six diplomats for their role in the latest attack. He was sent to Indian missions in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver.
India refuses to participate.
The objections come after a Global News Survey which revealed how Indian authorities use their visa system to harm Canadians from India.
The Indian government responded to the revelations on December 10 Global News saying that the Canadian media had engaged in “disinformation” and “foreign interference” against India.
But the application documents also show the process, and one witness said that when he applied for a visa, he was told to sign a pre-written letter in what he called “a form of torture” and “intrusive work.”
Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca
2025-01-16 18:38:52
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