OTTAWA — Jasraj Singh Hallan says Conservatives stand with Canada’s intelligence agencies after India’s top diplomat accused Canadian security institutions of being compromised by Sikh separatists.Speaking on Parliament Hill Tuesday, Hallan rejected comments made by Dinesh Patnaik in an interview with The Globe and Mail, where Patnaik alleged the Canadian Security Intelligence Service had been compromised by Khalistan activists and described some allegations against India as “fantasy issues.”“Conservatives stand with our intelligence agencies,” Hallan said when questioned by the Western Standard. “We stand with what they have said.” “They have said that India is one of those state actors when it comes to foreign interference. We do not agree with what the high commissioner of India has said, what the diplomat has said,” Hallan added. Patnaik’s comments come amid continuing tensions between Canada and India following allegations by Canadian authorities that Indian agents were linked to foreign interference activities and the 2023 killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.Hallan also turned criticism toward Prime Minister Mark Carney, accusing the Liberal government of failing to adequately respond to foreign interference concerns.“I think it’s upon you guys to ask Mark Carney where he stands,” Hallan said. “Why has he been quiet when it comes to issues of foreign interference?” “Foreign interference has skyrocketed in this country under the Liberals,” he added.
