Documents released from the foreign interference inquiry Thursday describe threats and harassment of Sikh Canadians by the Indian government, much of it orchestrated by diplomatic agents.
Witnesses told the Commerce Commission behind closed doors that India threatened their families, raided temples and interfered in Canadian elections, according to newly declassified documents.
India is “interfering in Canada because there is no reason not to,” one witness told the commission, adding that “the Canadian government has been very strong in the face of interference.”
“There were no consequences.”
These documents summarize hundreds of written submissions received from Canadians during public consultations and meetings with more than 100 members of immigrant communities.
They include Chinese, Iranian and Ukrainian participants, but the statements of Sikh Canadians are particularly noteworthy, providing a public-level view of the Indian government's alleged tactics.
India's foreign interference has seen an “acceleration” since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014, with senior officials vowing that “foreign dissidents will be eliminated,” one witness said.
Canada has named India as the second-worst threat of foreign interference, behind only China. India's campaign is mainly focused on the Khalistan movement, which represents the independence of the Sikh-majority Punjab region.
In these documents, the witness said that after attending a protest outside the Indian commission in Ottawa, Indian police visited his family and threatened his mother and brother, who were forced to flee to Dubai.
Other witnesses described efforts to influence the election, as well as allegations of India “influencing the Canadian political party nomination process,” and pressuring “red light” candidates critical of the Republic of India, or ROI.
“Some attendees discussed the consequences of political candidates speaking publicly against ROI's human rights record or advocating on behalf of the Sikh community,” the commission wrote.
A municipal council candidate in an unnamed Canadian city was allegedly targeted during the campaign by “bots and online agents” of the Indian government.
“Some attendees described their experiences as the targets of coordinated disinformation campaigns and disinformation campaigns carried out on social media and online news sites, as well as online harassment,” the commission said.
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The election of Sikhs in the temple was another alleged target of the Indian embassy, according to the proposals, which also said that consulate officials often refused visa services to Sikh lawyers trying to travel to India.
“It is common for members of the Sikh Canadian community to discuss whether elected officials in Canada are agents of ROI or are made by ROI,” said one participant.
“One person suggested that existing checks on potential candidates for political party positions should be strengthened and that candidates should be specially screened for cooperation with the government of the Republic of India,” the commission wrote.
Indian envoys should be banned from doing influential activities in temples “such as recruiting intelligence sources from community members,” said one witness.
“Activities of influence originating from or coordinated by Indian diplomatic missions across Canada need to be curtailed,” according to the commission's summary of evidence.
Another witness accused India of using “police stations in Canada to appoint high-ranking law enforcement officers under diplomatic garb. … these police stations put pressure on Canadians and threaten the family members of Canadian activists in ROI.”
Witnesses called for more transparency from Canada's intelligence agencies and decision-makers, and better ways to report incidents of foreign interference with Indians and foreign oppression.
A full-time task force is needed to investigate and prevent foreign interference and “coordinate between the relevant agencies” while reporting its findings to the public, another witness suggested.
Those who are warned by the police that their lives are in danger “should be given some form of protection.” Another member of the community said that “without this protection, people may remain silent because they are afraid of being killed in Canada.”
On June 18, 2023, Sikh temple leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead in Surrey, BC, in an assassination attempt by the Indian government.
While New Delhi denied involvement, the United States accused an intelligence chief in India of allegedly plotting to kill one of Nijjar's close associates, 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 looting.
The attack was allegedly approved by Modi's right-hand man, Amit Shah, and orchestrated by Indian intelligence officials in collaboration with organized crime groups such as the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
Canada expelled six politicians for their role in the scheme last fall. They were sent to Indian missions in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver.
India denies involvement.
The allegations come after a Global News investigation revealed how Indian officials are using their travel visa system to exploit Canadians of Indian origin.
The Indian government responded to the disclosure on December 10 by saying that the Canadian media was involved in “information intelligence” and “external interference” against India.
But the investigation documents also highlight the scheme, with one witness saying that when he applied for a visa he was told to sign a pre-written document in what he called “a form of harassment” and “interference practice.”
Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca
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