India rejects Canadian Commission's 'insinuations'
New Delhi (PTI): India on Tuesday night strongly rejected "insinuations" made against it in a report by a Canadian commission that investigated allegations that certain foreign governments were meddling into Canada's elections.
In a strong reaction, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it rejects the report's "insinuations" on India.
It is in fact Canada which has been "consistently interfering" in India's internal affairs, it said.
"We have seen a report about alleged activities on purported interference. It is in fact Canada which has been consistently interfering in India's internal affairs," the MEA said.
"This has also created an environment for illegal migration and organised criminal activities," it said in a statement.
"We reject the report's insinuations on India and expect that the support system enabling illegal migration will not be further countenanced," it added.
The government of India was suspected of using proxy agents to provide "clandestine financial support" to candidates from three political parties in a federal election, Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail reported.
In September, 2023, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau named Justice Marie-JosÃe Hogue to head the commission of inquiry into the allegations of foreign meddling in elections.
The commission examined allegations of meddling into the elections against China, Russia and others, according to Canadian media reports.
Last June, a report by Canada's National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians found that some parliamentarians were witting or semi-witting participants in foreign meddling.
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Why was Indira Gandhi's 1973 budget called the 'Black Budget'?
New Delhi: The Union Budget for 2025 is set to be presented in Parliament on February 1 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. As the nation awaits the financial roadmap of the third term of Narendra Modi-led government, a look back at the 1973-74 budget reveals one of India's most financially challenging periods.
The 1973-74 budget, presented by then-Finance Minister Yashwantrao Chavan under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, is often referred to as the ‘Black Budget’ due to its unprecedented fiscal deficit of ₹550 crore. This was a significant sum at the time, reflecting the severe economic strain India faced in the aftermath of the 1971 war with Pakistan.
The war had drained government resources, and a series of natural disasters, including drought, led to a sharp decline in agricultural production. This worsened the financial crisis, with declining revenues and rising expenditures. Presenting the budget, Chavan acknowledged the economic distress, stating that the drought had caused a major drop in food grain production, which contributed to the widening deficit.
In response, the government allocated ₹56 crore for the nationalisation of coal mines, insurance companies, and the Indian Copper Corporation. The move aimed to strengthen the energy sector and ensure state control over key industries. However, the large deficit forced the government to implement cost-cutting measures and financial discipline in subsequent years.
As the Modi 3.0 government prepares to unveil the 2025-26 budget, various sectors are putting forth their demands, including tax reliefs and economic stimulus measures. Social media is rife with memes attacking the Finance Minsiter for the tax policies and it's impact on the middle class. The government’s first estimates project a 7.3% GDP growth for 2023-24, shaping expectations for the upcoming budget.
