Canada no longer suspects Indian interference in its democratic processes or involvement in targeted violence in the North American country, Canadian media quoted unnamed officials as saying ahead of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first visit to India starting Friday. The officials said the visit might not have happened if Ottawa and its agencies continued to believe that India was interfering in the country’s internal affairs.
“I really don’t think we’ll take this [Carney] “If we believe these types of activities are continuing, we have had a mature and robust discussion with the government of India on these issues, and we have strong safeguards in place to avoid foreign interference,” CTV News quoted an official as saying.
Read also: With Trump’s strike on ’51st state’ and tariff war in the background, Canadian PM Carney prepares for an important visit to India | What’s on the agenda?
In October last year, a government task force monitoring Canada’s April 2024 federal election monitored possible Indian interference, but found no such incident. China and Russia reportedly sought to intervene.
Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s claim in September 2023 that Indian government agents were linked to the killing of Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nigar sparked a long-running diplomatic row between India and Canada. India rejected this charge, describing it as “ridiculous.”
The process of resetting Indo-Canada relations began when Carney took over as Prime Minister in March last year. The two sides agreed to restore stability to bilateral relations after Karney met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G7 summit in June 2025.
Also read: ‘You must live in the land of La La’: India tears Pakistan apart at UN over Jammu and Kashmir, says it must leave occupied areas by force
Four ministers and regional chief ministers will join Karney’s delegation to India, underscoring the focus on strengthening economic, trade and defense ties. This will be the first visit by a Canadian prime minister to India since 2018, when Trudeau, Carney’s predecessor, visited.
India and Canada agreed to resume trade and investment talks during Foreign Minister Anita Anand’s visit to India in October last year. The two sides unveiled a roadmap to reset relations as Anand met Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.
Canada and India began a dialogue on security, law and order last year, with Canadian National Security and Intelligence Advisor Nathalie Drouin visiting New Delhi. This month, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval traveled to Ottawa, where he met with Drouin and Canadian Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangari.
Also read: Kidnapping case, ‘detention’: What led to dramatic confrontation between Delhi and Shimla police over arrest of IYC workers
The two sides agreed to a “joint plan of action to guide bilateral cooperation on national security and law enforcement issues” and acknowledged progress on initiatives “aimed at supporting the safety and security of their countries and citizens.”
They agreed to “enable practical cooperation on relevant priorities” and to appoint liaison officers for security and law enforcement. Statements issued at the time said the two sides agreed that their agencies would build on working relationships.
In January 2025, the final report of the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions described India as the second most active country in foreign election interference in Canada. “Like the People’s Republic of China [People’s Republic of China]India is a crucial player on the global stage.
The report noted that India recognized that Canada did not take India’s national security concerns about Khalistani separatism “sufficiently seriously.”
