(MENAFN) According to a report by News18, officials in Ottawa investigating allegations of election interference have found no evidence of India meddling in Canada's general election in 2021. The panel tasked with probing charges of election interference concluded that there was no indication of New Delhi interfering in the national vote, which saw Liberal Party candidate Justin Trudeau emerge victorious.
Former Deputy Foreign Minister Marta Morgan and former Cabinet Secretary Janice Charette, both part of the panel addressing the Foreign Interference Commission, highlighted a lack of information regarding possible "disinformation campaigns" linked to India within the Canadian information ecosystem. Additionally, the panelists did not uncover evidence supporting claims of political campaign funding from Indian sources, as reported by News18 and other media outlets.
Janice Charette stated, "When we entered into the election campaign itself, we were being briefed on activities and the intelligence or information that was coming about how those capabilities or those tools were being deployed. And I do not believe during the 2021 election that we saw evidence of the Government of India using those tools in the campaign."
These findings come in the wake of reports by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), suggesting that India had "intent to interfere and likely conducted clandestine activities" during the 2021 Canadian federal election. However, assessments presented in documents tabled as part of the federal commission of inquiry into foreign interference have not provided substantial evidence to support these claims. The inquiry is examining potential meddling by various countries, including China, India, and Russia, in both the 2019 and 2021 federal elections, as reported by the state broadcaster CBC earlier this month.
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