Canada tracks Indian media, journos and submits report to foreign interference inquiry – Times of India

TOI Correspondent from London: The Canadian govt has been monitoring individual Indian journalists and media and has compiled and submitted a dossier of social media posts by them to the foreign interference commission as part of its inquiry into Indian interference in Canadian affairs.
The report, titled “Potential Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference Following PM Statement on Killing of Hardeep Nijjar”, sits under the exhibits and presentations section of the public inquiry website.
The purpose of the document (dated Sept 26) by Canada‘s rapid response mechanism (RRM) unit is to present “RRM Canada’s assessment of information manipulation and interference from India, China and Russia” in relation to Trudeau’s statement on the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in parliament.
The report focuses on accounts on X, Facebook and YouTube that belong to what it describes as “godi media”.
“Following PM’s statement that Canada’s agencies were pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the Indian govt and the killing of Nijjar, Modi-aligned outfits amplified several narratives that targeted PM Trudeau, Canada’s High Commissioner to India, Canada’s national security agencies, Canada’s Punjabi Sikh diaspora, and Nijjar’s political beliefs,” the report states. Nijjar was designated a terrorist by India. “The tenor of the narratives was often heated, with commentators employed by Modi-aligned outlets posting that PM Trudeau and Canadian institutions were ‘enablers of terrorism’ and ‘falling into the laps of Khalistani extremists’,” it says, pointing out the diplomatic crisis between Canada and India “will likely carry considerable implications for Canadian foreign policy.”
The report lists the key narratives that it has found in its monitoring: namely posts portraying Canadian diplomats in India in a negative light and claims that Canada has historically sheltered terrorist elements of the Khalistan movement. It cites a post by Anand Ranganathan as an example in which he claims former PM Pierre Trudeau allowed the 1985 Air India bombing suspect to walk free and that “the apple never falls far from the tree”, suggesting Trudeau has familial reasons for safeguarding Khalistan supporters.
Another narrative the report refers to are posts from Indian journalists and media “alleging Nijjar was involved with militant or extremist outfits”. ”These narratives seek to portray Nijjar as an individual who led a double life and discredit his role as a community leader in Surrey, BC,” the report states. “Others raised doubts about Nijjar’s Canadian citizenship, or claimed that by giving him citizenship rights, Canada has pandered to terrorists.”
The report also lists as potential foreign interference, Indian narratives that target NDP leader Jagmeet Singh as pro-Khalistan or claim Pakistan’s ISI is funding the Khalistan movement in Canada or say that Trudeau has ties to George Soros.
The report notes that “some Modi-aligned outlets have 14 times the following of Canadian outlets like CBC and CTV News”.
“Canada’s low subscriber numbers in comparison suggest Modi-aligned media create a distinct advantage in amplifying negative narratives about Canada and its position on the killing of Nijjar,” it states.