Canada's Liberal Party bars MP Chandra Arya from running under party’s banner for India ties

Canada's Liberal Party has revoked MP Chandra Arya's bid to run for party's leadership and his nomination in his own Ottawa Nepean constituency over his alleged ties with India, Globe and Mail reported on Wednesday. The MP rejected the allegations and cited his "firm stance against Khalistani extremism" as the reason behind this move.
The report cited a source saying that the MP did not inform about his visit to India last year and meeting PM Narendra Modi amid deteriorating bilateral ties between the two nations.
Arya dismissed the allegations of being influenced by India and told the Mail, "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."
"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," he added.
The Liberals have not disclosed the reason for barring the three-term MP from participating in the party’s recent leadership race or seeking re-election in the Nepean constituency.
According to Liberal sources, party officials with security clearances who received a general CSIS briefing on foreign interference also had concerns about Arya. However, the decision to bar him from the leadership race and the Nepean nomination was made solely by the Liberal Party, not on CSIS's advice. A second source indicated that party officials, responsible for tracking foreign meddling, discovered troubling inconsistencies in the confidential questionnaire Arya had submitted.