Australian, Canadian broadcasting corp reports on Indian 'meddling' alike

New Delhi: The recent "revelations" by state-backed Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on "Indian spies" and the Modi government’s “infiltration” in Australia has uncanny similarities with "revelations" made in the report of Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) which also made similar allegations.

The ABC report claimed that the Sikh diaspora and their families in India have been “coerced” by Indian authorities and that the Australian government while expanding ties with India is worried about "Indian spies" on its soil. The ABC report also refers to the Hardeep Singh Nijjar case and the Canadian government’s accusation against India.

“As the federal government embraces Narendra Modi and his administration as an important partner, the long arm of the Indian state is reaching Australia, silencing critics and threatening members of the diaspora… In 2020, India-Australia relations seemed better than ever. Trade deals were blossoming and a range of defence alliances were being signed in response to China’s growing power in the region. In secret though, Australia was unhappy with India’s spy operations in the country,” alleged the ABC report titled ‘Infiltrating Australia’, published on June 17.

Incidentally on June 17, the CBC also released a report titled ‘1 year later, questions loom about India's role in Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing’. “Sikh activist and community leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar was gunned down outside the Guru Nanak Gurdwara on June 18, 2023. Today host Michelle Eliot discusses the anniversary and an intelligence report this month which suggested some parliamentarians ‘wittingly or unwittingly’ helped the Indian government meddle in Canadian politics,” according to the summary of the CBC report.

Highly placed sources told ET that ties with Australia are acquiring new dimensions, including through Quad and security sphere but there are fears that Australia might go the Canada way if unsubstantiated allegations are made.

The Australian government funds the ABC as part of the budget each year. This funding covers their normal operations and transmission costs as well as capital works and special projects. But the Australian government reportedly does not direct the ABC on programming matters.

Similarly, CBC is also funded by the Canadian government. Documents released by the Treasury Board of Canada this February showed CBC would get an estimated $1.38 billion budget in 2024-25, up from an estimated $1.29 billion for 2023-24. The Canadian government funding accounts for approximately 70% of CBC/Radio-Canada's budget, while the remainder of its funding comes from self-generated revenue, including advertising.