New Delhi/Chandigarh, 16 October, 2024: The United States has urged India to cooperate with Canada’s investigation into the “extremely serious allegations” linking Indian government agents to the killing of Khalistani separatist and Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Vancouver last June.
At a press briefing in Washington, D.C., State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller reiterated that the U.S. believes the allegations “need to be taken seriously” and expressed disappointment in India’s lack of cooperation with Canada.
“We wanted to see the Government of India cooperate with Canada… obviously they have not chosen that path,” Miller said in response to questions about the ongoing diplomatic crisis between Delhi and Ottawa.
Since the tensions began in September last year, the U.S. has taken a measured approach, continuing to accentuate the importance of cooperation.
Miller added, “We have urged them to cooperate and will continue to urge them to do so,” but refrained from further comment beyond what the two nations have publicly stated.
India, which has consistently denied the allegations, has not responded to these recent remarks. New Delhi has dismissed the claims as “absurd” and “politically motivated,” accusing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of trying to distract from his declining popularity ahead of next year’s election. India has also requested evidence to support the allegations.
Miller, however, emphasized the strong relationship between the U.S. and India, stating, “India continues to be an incredibly strong partner… when we have concerns, we can take those concerns to them and have candid conversations.”
The India-Canada diplomatic dispute intensified last September when Trudeau accused Indian agents of involvement in Nijjar’s killing, citing “credible information” shared with intelligence partners, including the U.S. India, however, claims it has not received evidence to support the accusations.
Tensions escalated further this week after Canadian authorities, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, accused Indian agents of collaborating with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to target pro-Khalistani elements in Canada. Trudeau held a press conference backing these claims, accusing India of supporting criminal activities on Canadian soil. He expressed his government’s frustration at India’s lack of cooperation, despite Canadian police attempts to engage with Indian officials.
This latest development led to a new round of diplomatic expulsions. Canada named India’s High Commissioner, Sanjay Kumar Verma, as a ‘person of interest’ in its investigation and expelled him. India retaliated by expelling Canada’s acting High Commissioner, Stewart Wheeler, and five of his staff.
Nijjar, the leader of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force, was on India’s
