Justin Trudeau says India's alleged interference in Canada 'horrific mistake'

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has described India's alleged interference in Canada as a "horrific mistake," suggesting that India mistakenly believed it could act aggressively without repercussions regarding Canadian sovereignty.

Trudeau's remarks came on Wednesday, just two days after his government expelled Indian diplomats believed to be connected to the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. Trudeau also suggested that there is a broader pattern of targeting Indian dissidents within Canada.

These statements mark some of the strongest comments from Trudeau since the dispute between Ottawa and New Delhi escalated last year, resulting in a significant deterioration in bilateral relations.

"The Indian government made a horrific mistake in thinking that they could interfere as aggressively as they did in the safety and sovereignty of Canada," he said while addressing an independent investigation into foreign interference in Canadian politics.

In response, India's foreign ministry issued a brief statement, asserting that Trudeau's comments reinforced New Delhi's position that Canada had not provided any evidence to back its allegations against Indian diplomats. "The responsibility for the damage that this cavalier behaviour has caused to India-Canada relations lies with Prime Minister Trudeau alone," the statement read.

Trudeau mentioned that Ottawa might take additional measures to ensure the safety of Canadians but did not elaborate on specific actions.

India has denied the allegations of interference and has expelled six Canadian diplomats in a reciprocal response.

**Conservative Party Members Potentially Involved in Foreign Interference**

During his address to the independent commission, Trudeau also suggested that some members of the official opposition Conservative Party might be involved in foreign interference and criticized the party for not taking the issue seriously.

Recent polls indicate that the Conservatives could easily defeat Trudeau's Liberals in the upcoming election, which is scheduled to occur by the end of October 2025.

"I have the names of a number of parliamentarians, former parliamentarians, and candidates in the Conservative Party who are engaged, or are at high risk of, or for whom there is clear intelligence regarding foreign interference," Trudeau stated.

However, he later tempered his remarks, indicating that the intelligence concerning Conservative activities could be "shoddy or incomplete or just allegations from a single source."

He did not provide further details on the matter.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has refused to apply for the security clearance necessary to access all intelligence uncovered during the investigation, arguing that doing so would hinder his ability to comment on public proceedings.

Trudeau revealed that he had asked the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) to inform Poilievre about Conservative members who could be vulnerable to foreign interference.

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