As the diplomatic spat between India and Canada escalates, a Canadian spy agency has accused India of using cyber technology to track separatists abroad. The warning came a day after Ottawa accused a senior Indian official of authorizing violence that included the killing of a pro-Khalistani activist in Vancouver.

In a report, Canada’s Communications Security Institution (CSE) alleged that India was using its cyber capabilities “to track and surveil activists and dissidents living abroad”. The agency also accused India of stepping up cyber attacks against the Canadian government network.

In the past, Canada has accused “agents working for the Indian government” of killing pro-Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. “It’s clear that we see India as an emerging (cyber) threat actor,” CSE chief Caroline Xavier told a news conference on Wednesday. AFP reported. In the scathing report, the agency found the rift in bilateral relations between Canada and India to be “highly likely” to be a factor in this activity.

What does the CSE report say?

The report claimed that after Canada’s allegations, “a pro-India hacktivist group” launched crippling DDoS attacks. The group flooded a system with online traffic to make it inaccessible to legitimate users. India has denied all the allegations, calling them “absurd”.

It is important to note that the latest Canadian accusations come after Delhi and Ottawa expelled each other’s ambassador and other senior diplomats. So far, four Indian nationals have been arrested in connection with Nijjar’s murder.

In the past, both the United States and Canada have alleged that an Indian spy was involved in the foiled murder plot of another pro-Khalistani terrorist, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Meanwhile, India criticized Canada for not providing security to its diplomats and promoting separatist movements.

With inputs from AFP.