US State Secretary Antony Blinken claims America is deeply concerned about Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s accusations of India’s potential involvement in the murder of a Sikh separatist.
Blinken also noted the importance of a joint investigation between New Delhi and Ottawa. At a press conference on Friday, he stated that the US was directly engaging with the Indian government on the issue.
‘We want to see accountability and it’s important that the investigation runs its course and leads to that result.
Tensions between India and Canada flared up earlier this week following Trudeau’s high-profile allegations of a “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia on 18 June.
India declared Nijjar a terrorist in 2020. It has dismissed the allegations as “absurd” and “motivated” and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in response to Ottawa’s expulsion of an Indian official.
Blinken states the US is “extremely vigilant about any instances of alleged transnational reprisals” and takes them “very, very seriously.”
”And I think it’s important more broadly for the international system that any country that might consider engaging in such acts [does] not do so. So it’s something that we’re also focused on in a much broader way.”
Nijjar, 45, the leader of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was one of India’s most wanted terrorists. A cash reward of Rs 10 lakh had been put on his head. He was shot dead near a gurdwara in Surrey.
While Canada has yet to provide public evidence, media reports citing Canadian government sources say Ottawa’s allegations are based on both human and radio intelligence as well as information from the Five Eye intelligence network.
The Five Eyes network is an intelligence alliance comprising the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
India has requested Canada to deal sternly with terrorists and anti-India elements operating in its territory. It has also suspended visas for Canadians.
The two countries are experiencing tension due to the growing activity of pro-Khalistani elements in Canada. New Delhi believes that the Trudeau government is not solving its real problems.
