Canadian committee weighs probe on new Indian violence allegations

A parliamentary committee is meeting on Friday to weigh a request to study new allegations of Indian foreign interference in Canada that led to the expulsion of diplomats.

A parliamentary committee is meeting on Friday to weigh a request to study new allegations of Indian foreign interference in Canada that led to the expulsion of diplomats by both countries in tat-for-tat-moves.

The standing committee on public safety and national security agreed to a request from members to hold the emergency meeting on the recent developments related to new revelations from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police regarding Indian government agents.

The RCMP said on Monday that it has significant amount of information on criminal activity allegedly orchestrated by agents of the Indian government.

The evidence points to “violent extremism” in both countries, links tying Indian government agents to homicides and violent acts, use of organized crime targeting the South Asian community in Canada, and interference in democratic processes, according to the RCMP.

NDP MP Alistair MacGregor moved the motion for the committee to start the probe, which would include at least six meetings.

“For the RCMP, indeed, for any police force that is conducting an active investigation to come out with such explosive revelations, I think underscores just how serious this is,” he said on Friday.

The motion proposed inviting senior officials like Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme, National Security and Intelligence Advisor Nathalie Drouin.

The committee is also proposing to hear from experts from Canada’s South Asian community, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, any former leadership candidates of the 2022 Conservative Party leadership race and national security subject matter experts.