Indo-Canadian politician Ruby Dhalla announced on Saturday (Feb 22) that she has been disqualified from running for the leadership of the Liberal Party and Canada’s prime ministerial office.

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In a statement on X, Dhalla said she was informed of the decision by the party, calling it “shocking and deeply disappointing, especially since it was leaked to the media.”

“The allegations that the party have used against me are false and fabricated,” she wrote.

Also read: ‘Unacceptable and wrong’: Canada’s PM hopeful Ruby Dhalla slams ‘false’ media allegations of India link

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“The tactics used to remove me from this race only confirm what we already knew, our message was resonating, we were winning, and the establishment felt threatened," she said.

Dhalla added, “One day it was foreign interference, one day it was campaign violations—all in an attempt to keep me from debating [Mark] Carney and winning. I will continue to stand up for Canadians and fight for Canada.”

Why was Ruby Dhalla disqualified?

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Azam Ishmael, the Liberal Party’s national director, said that Dhalla was found to have committed ten violations, including breaches of leadership and expense rules.

“The decision followed an extensive process and review, including interviews, questionnaires and an opportunity for Dr Dhalla to directly address the committees,” Ishmael told CBC News.

“The leadership vote committee determined that the violations were extremely serious,” CBC News added.

According to Ishmael, concerns were raised about possible violations of the Canada Elections Act, as well as election finance issues, non-disclosure of material facts, and inaccurate financial reporting.

Also read: Ruby Dhalla, Canada's PM candidate, once acted in a Hindi film

A source told CBC News that Dhalla was also accused of failing to disclose the involvement of a non-Canadian citizen in her campaign, which the party suggested could amount to foreign interference during an election period.

Concerns over campaign donations

The party has also withheld $21,000 in campaign contributions as it investigates whether 12 donors exceeded the maximum legal contribution limits. Elections Canada records show that each of the 12 donors contributed $1,750, the legal maximum and that three pairs shared the same last name and postal code.

Foreign interference allegations

The controversy surrounding Dhalla’s campaign deepened after The Globe and Mail reported that the Liberal Party had questioned her about possible foreign interference from the Indian government. Dhalla had dismissed those claims.

However, a party spokesperson later told CBC News that none of the questions asked were related to foreign interference.

Dhalla is a former Liberal MP who represented Brampton-Springdale from 2004 to 2011. Born and raised in Winnipeg, she worked as a chiropractor before entering politics under former Prime Minister Paul Martin. She is also an entrepreneur.