Former national security adviser not surprised at allegations India may have meddled in Canadian affairs

A former CSIS director and national security adviser to two prime ministers says he’s not surprised India may have been involved in some foreign interference activities in Canada.

A former CSIS director and national security adviser to two prime ministers says he’s not surprised India may have been involved in some foreign interference activities in Canada.

On Monday afternoon, Trudeau told the House of Commons in a rare statement on a matter of national security that Canadian intelligence agencies were investigating "credible allegations" that agents of the Indian government were involved in the June death of prominent Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in B.C.

Trudeau stood by the intelligence Tuesday, despite New Delhi calling the claim "absurd."

“Was I surprised that India might have been involved in some act of foreign interference? No. That it was involved in extra-judicial killing? Yes,” said Richard Fadden, who served as national security adviser to Trudeau and former prime minister Stephen Harper.

He said the Indian government has been “mucking about” in Canada’s affairs for quite a while now, and various governments “have done a variety of things, but clearly not enough, to stop them.”

“And I still don't think that we're taking it seriously given the breadth of activity that really puts our sovereignty at risk,” he said.

While some of Canada’s allies have issued statements calling for a fulsome investigation into Nijjar’s killing, some foreign affairs and intelligence experts said a hesitance to be more vocal could be attributed to the delicate diplomatic balancing act that is necessary given India's strategic and economic importance in the world.