Former Liberal MP Responds to Allegations of Being Prevented from Seeking Re-election Due to Ties with India

March 27, 2025 TruthUSA

Former Liberal MP Chandra Arya has addressed claims that the party removed him as a candidate in the upcoming election due to concerns of foreign interference related to his ties in India.

Arya was notified on March 20 that his candidacy for the Nepean riding in the April 28 election was revoked by the party, a riding he has represented since 2015. Prime Minister and Liberal Party Leader Mark Carney is running for the Liberals in this election.

Arya shared the letter he received from Liberal national campaign director Andrew Bevan, who did not provide a reason for the party’s decision.

“Based on a review of new information by the Chair of the Green Light Committee, the National Campaign Co-chair is recommending the revocation of your status as a Candidate,” Bevan stated in his March 20 letter.

According to a recent report by The Globe and Mail citing anonymous sources with high-level security clearance, Arya was disqualified over alleged connections to the Indian government and concerns about foreign interference. The report mentioned Arya’s visit to India in August 2024 where he met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Arya refuted the allegations in a post on social media on March 26.

“As a Member of Parliament, I have interacted with various diplomats and government officials, both in Canada and internationally,” he stated, emphasizing that he has never needed permission from the Canadian government.

“Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or any cabinet minister never raised concerns about my meetings or public statements. The Liberal Party’s only issue with me has been my strong advocacy for Hindu Canadians and my opposition to Khalistani extremism,” Arya mentioned in the post.

Arya was also barred from running for the Liberal party leadership after Justin Trudeau announced his resignation in January. In a Jan. 26 post on X, he revealed that the party had informed him of its decision not to allow him to run.

Relations between Canada and India have been strained since September 2023 when former Prime Minister Trudeau accused the Indian government of being involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey on June 18, 2023. India refuted the allegation.

Ottawa and India expelled each other’s diplomats following the accusations.

In 2023, Arya presented a petition in the House of Commons urging the Liberal government to reconsider its proposed “foreign influence transparency registry.”

The petition argued that the registry could lead to “serious harassment and stigmatization risk for racialized communities” as a misleading way to identify sources of foreign influence.

The Liberal government proceeded to establish the registration as part of 2024 legislation aimed at combating foreign interference.

Matthew Horwood contributed to this article.

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