Washington/New Delhi: The US backed close friend, neighbour and ally Canada in its stand against India, saying that Ottawa’s allegations against New Delhi of involvement in the killing of Indo-Canadian Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar “are serious” and that Washington wants India to cooperate with Canada’s investigation.
Separately, the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in a statement said they are “in contact with our Canadian partners about the serious developments outlined in the independent investigations in Canada. The UK has full confidence in Canada’s judicial system. Respect for sovereignty and the rule of law is essential."
“The Government of India’s cooperation with Canada’s legal process is the right next step,” the UK said.
In Washington, the State Department Spokesperson Mathew Miller said: “..When it comes to the Canadian matter, we have made clear that the allegations are extremely seriously – serious, and they need to be taken seriously, and we wanted to see the Government of India cooperate with Canada in its investigation. Obviously, they have not chosen that path.”
Asked how he arrived at the conclusion that India was not cooperating with Canada in the investigations into Nijjar’s killing, Miller sidestepped, and said: “So I don’t have any further comment on that beyond what the two countries have said publicly. We have urged them to cooperate, and we’ll continue to urge them to —”
Asked to react to India’s statement that Canada has not provided any credible proof so far, Miller again sidestepped.
“Question: But India is saying they have not received any evidence from the Canadians.
Miller: And I will defer to those two countries to speak to the relevant status of the matter.”
Referring to the visit of an Indian enquiry committee set up to probe American allegations of the involvement of an Indian government official in an alleged plot to kill Khalistani extremist and Canadian-US national Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the spokesperson said:
“The meeting was here as a follow-up on conversations we have been having with the Government of India at the senior-most levels over the past several months. They have told us that they are taking the allegations seriously, that the activities contained in the DOJ indictment do not represent government policy. So the meeting that happened this week or that is happening today by India’s inquiry was to discuss their active investigation into the matter, for us to update them on our active investigation into the matter, and to continue to share sides about steps that could happen in the days and weeks to come.”
On Monday India announced it was expelling six Canadian diplomats, including the Acting and Deputy High Commissioners, even as it withdrew its own High Commissioner and five other diplomats from Ottawa,
The development came in the wake of a diplomatic communication from Canada on Sunday “suggesting that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats are ‘persons of interest’” in the probe related to the killing of Nijjar.
India strongly rejected these preposterous imputations and ascribed them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Government that is centered around vote bank politics.
