New Delhi: India declined to comment on media reports in Australia that alleged that “Indian spies” were thrown out of the country in 2020 by the Morrison government, terming them as “speculative”.
Even as Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, in her comments on the reports, said that her country will stress on the importance of maintaining their democratic principles, including in the face of “any suggestion of foreign interference”, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs declined to comment.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “We really have no comments to make on those reports; we see them as speculative reports, and have no comments to make on them. It is not our policy to do so, on such matters specially.”
According to an ABC report, “Indian spies were kicked out of Australia after being caught trying to steal secrets about sensitive defence projects and airport security, as well as classified information on Australia's trade relationships”.
It said the so-called foreign "nest of spies" was disrupted by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) in 2020. It was accused of closely monitoring Indians living in Australia and developing close relationships with current and former politicians.
Penny Wong, asked if her government was concerned over the report, said that while they don’t comment on intelligence matters, “But at a level of principle about the democracy, I think you would have heard me and other Ministers on many occasions assert the importance of our democratic principles, assert the importance of ensuring that we maintain the resilience of our democracy, including in the face of any suggestion of foreign interference, and we have laws to deal with that.”
To another question on the issue, she said: “We don't comment on intelligence matters, but as a matter of general principles, Australia remains consistent to our interests and to our values in all of our engagements.”
The ABC report further said ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess first alluded to the spy ring in his annual threat assessment delivered in 2021, but, he did not disclose which country was behind the activity, saying to do so would be an "unnecessary distraction".
"The spies developed targeted relationships with current and former politicians, a foreign embassy and a state police service," Burgess said during his March 2021 speech inside ASIO's Canberra headquarters.
"They monitored their country's diaspora community. They tried to obtain classified information about Australia's trade relationships.
"They asked a public servant to provide information on security protocols at a major airport."
Burgess also detailed how the "nest of spies" had successfully cultivated and recruited an Australian government security clearance holder who had access to "sensitive details of defence technology".
ABC said that national security and government figures have confirmed that India's foreign intelligence service was responsible for the "nest of spies", and "a number" of Indian officials were later removed from Australia by the Morrison government.
The Washington Post also reported that two members of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) were expelled from Australia in 2020 following an ASIO counter-intelligence operation.
“Details of New Delhi's clandestine operations in Australia have emerged as western allies grow increasingly alarmed over the actions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, which is accused of an assassination in Canada last September,” it said, referring to the Nijjar killing.
