India Has Intent and Capability to Interfere in Canada Elections, Claims Ottawa

Interfere in Canada Elections: Canada's spy agency claimed on Monday that India and China are likely to attempt interference in the upcoming Canadian general election on April 28, while Russia and Pakistan also have the potential to do so, news agency Reuters reported.

Vanessa Lloyd, deputy director of operations at the spy service, said during a press conference: “We have also seen that the Government of India has the intent and capability to interfere in Canadian communities and democratic processes to assert its geopolitical influence.”

Canadian and “Canada-based proxies as well as contacts in their networks are increasingly relied on to conduct government of India foreign interference activities,” Lloyd added.

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During a briefing on Monday, the task force’s chair, Vanessa Lloyd, also Deputy Director of Operations at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), said, “The PRC (People's Republic of China) is highly likely to use AI-enabled tools to attempt to interfere with Canada's democratic process in this current election,” according to media reports.

She also cited India as a potential threat, saying, “We have also seen that the government of India has the intent and capability to interfere in Canadian communities and democratic processes.”

Earlier this month, it also warned of a “spamouflage” campaign targeting several individuals based in Canada, linked to China. It described spamouflage as a combination of “spam” and “camouflage,” intended to portray the hidden attempts to spread spam-like content and propaganda among more everyday, human-interest-style content.

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In October 2024, then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had accused India of being involved in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and a prominent Sikh separatist leader, in British Columbia.

India had denied its involvement, and in response to Canada expelling its diplomats, expelled senior Canadian diplomats. The situation further escalated when demonstrations near a Hindu temple in Ontario were dispersed by the Canadian police after weapons were reportedly spotted at the demonstration.

Earlier this month Beijing announced tariffs on more than $2.6 billion worth of Canadian agricultural and food products, retaliating against levies Ottawa slapped on Chinese electric vehicles and steel and aluminum products last year.

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