New Delhi, February 8
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has strongly rejected allegations of Indian interference in Canadian elections, calling these “baseless” and emphasizing its policy of non-interference in other countries’ democratic processes.
“We strongly reject such baseless allegations,” said MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Thursday. He further asserted that the “reverse” is true, highlighting Canadian interference in India’s internal affairs.
Randhir Jaiswal while addressing the weekly press briefing on Thursday said that India has consistently raised its concerns with Canada and continues to demand “effective measures” to address them. He elaborated that these concerns are “core”.
This statement comes after revelations that Canada’s public inquiry into foreign election interference is expanding its scope to include alleged Indian meddling in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. The commission’s request for relevant documents from the Canadian government fueled these concerns.
Launched in September 2023, the inquiry initially focused on potential interference from China, Russia, and other actors in the aforementioned elections.
In addition to it, the External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson said that India will substitute its military personnel managing three aviation platforms in the Maldives with proficient Indian technical personnel, emphasizing India’s ongoing role as a significant development partner for the island nation.
Starting shortly!
Tune in for our weekly media briefing:https://t.co/OVWKVmVWNs
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) February 8, 2024
Highlights
- India refutes allegations of interference in Canadian elections, calling them “baseless” and emphasizing their policy of non-interference in other countries’ democratic processes.
- Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, strongly rejects the allegations during a press briefing, highlighting concerns about Canadian interference in India’s internal affairs.
- India demands “effective measures” from Canada to address these concerns, which are considered “core” to their relationship.
- Canada’s public inquiry into foreign election interference expands its scope to include alleged Indian meddling in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
- The inquiry initially focused on potential interference from China, Russia, and other actors and was launched in September 2023.