The Liberal Party has barred Indian-origin MP Chandra Arya’s bid to run for the party leadership and revoked his nomination in his own Nepean seat over alleged foreign interference which concerns India, media reports said.
Arya met Indian PM Narendra Modi during his visit to India last year.
A source told The Globe And Mail Arya had not informed the government of that trip even though bilateral relations are in a deep freeze over accusations that New Delhi carried out murder and other violent acts in Canada.
The party did not reveal the official reason behind barring the three-term Liberal MP from the party’s recent leadership race or from running again in the Ottawa riding of Nepean.
Liberal Leader and current Prime Minister Mark Carney will run from the constituency for the April 28 polls.
He is the first Prime Minister in the country to govern before being elected to the post.
A source told The Globe And Mail that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service had briefed the government about Arya’s alleged close ties to the government of India, including its High Commission in Ottawa.
Liberal Party officials who have security clearances and had received a general CSIS briefing on foreign interference also had concerns about Arya, a Liberal source said.
The decisions to remove Arya as a candidate for the leadership and Nepean nomination were solely made by the Liberal Party and were not on the advice of CSIS, both sources said.
Party officials, in charge of monitoring foreign meddling, found troubling inconsistencies in information that Arya had put in a confidential questionnaire, the second source said.
Arya rejects allegations
Chandra Arya, however, rejected the allegations levelled against him and wrote on Facebook: “As a Member of Parliament, I have engaged with numerous diplomats and heads of government, both in Canada and internationally. Not once have I sought—nor been required to seek—permission from the government to do so.”
“At no point did former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or any cabinet minister raise concerns about my meetings or public statements,” he said.
Arya, who is seen as a vocal critic of Khalistani elements in the country, further wrote: “The sole point of contention with the Liberal Party has been my outspoken advocacy on issues important to Hindu Canadians and my firm stance against Khalistani extremism.”
