What is driving Trudeau to take the extreme position he has against India? Is this something personal? Or is it just convenient to point the finger at India?
Indian diplomats with experience of Canada suspect it is the latter. It may help Trudeau to turn the spotlight on India when facing an inquiry into foreign interference in Canada by China, which could be far more damaging.
A Canadian panel that probed foreign interference in elections in 2019 and 2021, said in a preliminary report that “China stands out as the main perpetrator” of such interference although the outcome of the votes was not affected.
But it noted that China “clandestinely leveraged” Canadian officials in an effort to help its “favoured” candidates win office in 2019.
It cited China’s use of “proxy agents” to ensure political candidates of anti-China persuasion, were excluded from local election related events.
Funds to the tune of $500,000 were transferred to facilitate such shenanighans. The Canadian government raised its concerns with China 48 times. Russia was also blamed for targeting diaspora Russians by threatening their families in their countries of origin.
The reference to India is lower down with the Canadian intelligence service saying actions were carried out by a proxy agent of the Indian government, and “centered on a small number of electoral districts”, to support pro-India candidates.
There is also the Royal Canadian Mounted Police which, at a briefing, said India’s focus appeared to be on Khalistani Sikhs, not necessarily the Canadian Sikh community.
So why target India when China has done far worse. There maybe some truth in India’s charge that Trudeau is seeking to divert attention from the findings of the panel probing foreign interference. The report is due out at the end of this year and elections are to be held next year. Could there be a link?
A recent poll revealed that only 26% of Canadians consider Trudeau the best candidate for prime minister. This explains the move by Liberal Party MP Sean Casey to ask Trudeau to resign.
