India-Canada Row: Canada’s Top Officials Testifies Of Leaking Sensitive Details Against New Delhi

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s national security and intelligence adviser has accepted the fact about leaking sensitive information to the newspaper outlet Washington Post. The information reiterated about the Indian government’s involvement in conducting hostile activities on Canadian soil. The information was leaked by Nathalie Drouin and David Morrison, deputy minister of foreign affairs. The leak has also named Union Minister Amit Shah’s involvement for directing such actions.

While testifying before the Commons public safety committee, Druin stated that she didn’t need authorisation from Trudeau’s to leak such information. She confirmed that no classified information was given to the Washington Post. Notably, the news was published a day before India decided to withdraw its six diplomats.

Apart from naming Amit Shah, the information claimed about India's role in the killing of Sikh activist Sukhdool Singh Gill, who was shot in Winnipeg on Sept. 20, 2023. This incident occurred two days following PM Trudeau’s address in the House of Commons alleging India’s involvement in the June 2023 gangland murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Though no charges were filed in Gill’s case, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme confirmed the evidence implicating India’s role in several killings. However, only Nijjar’s name was specified.

Druin has also stated that the decision to leak the sensitive information was a part of their strategy. In fact, the plan was devised to ensure a major US media outlet reported on Canada's stance in its diplomatic standoff with India.

“We provided non-classified information on our actions and the evidence linking the Indian government to illegal activities targeting Canadians, including life-threatening threats,” Drouin testified, adding that similar briefings were shared with Canadian opposition leaders.

While questioning the Canadian government’s intent, public safety critic Raquel Dancho asked why the information was shared with the Washington Post before making it available to the Canadian public. To this she said, “Canadians wouldn’t know unless they were able to read The Washington Post. I find it unfair that details were released to them but not provided to Canadians.”

Commissioner Duheme affirmed that the information was not released to the public as it could hamper the ongoing investigations. He added, “It’s investigative material we typically keep internal.”

Previously, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) came down heavily on Canada’s “preposterous imputations” on the involvement of Indian diplomats in the murder case of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The ministry warned by saying that India ‘reserves the right to take further steps in response’

External Affairs minister S Jaishankar on Saturday had said that “On our side we have reasoned with the Canadian system saying ‘look don’t go down this extremist path.” In Pune, Jaishankar had said, “We completely reject the manner in which the Canadian government targeted our High Commissioner and diplomats…There are a small minority of people there, who have made themselves into what appears to be a bigger political voice…Today they are saying things about us, but if you look at who first raised the presence of organised crime in Canada. We were telling them and they were not listening…On our side we have reasoned with the Canadian system saying ‘look don’t go down this extremist path’”.