Ahead of the anticipated bilateral meeting between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, the US State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, made it clear on Thursday that Washington has already communicated its stance on the Canada issue to New Delhi.
During a press briefing at the White House, Miller refrained from commenting on the specific agenda for the meeting between Jaishankar and Blinken, scheduled for later in the day. He stated, “I don’t want to preview the conversations he (Blinken) will have in that meeting, but as we have made clear, we have raised this; we have engaged with our Indian counterparts on this and encouraged them to cooperate with the Canadian investigation, and we continue to encourage them to cooperate.”
The backdrop for this meeting is a significant diplomatic dispute between India and Canada, ignited by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations regarding New Delhi’s involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June of the current year. Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was fatally shot by two masked assailants in the parking lot of a Gurudwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18.
Trudeau recently informed the Canadian Parliament that agencies were investigating “credible allegations” regarding India’s role in Nijjar’s killing. India promptly dismissed Trudeau’s claims as “absurd and politically motivated,” urging Ottawa to provide specific evidence supporting the allegations. The exchange of accusations led to a significant diplomatic standoff, with both nations imposing various measures against each other. India reciprocated by expelling a Canadian diplomat and suspending visa services for Canadian citizens.
On the previous day, Jaishankar reiterated that it was not the policy of the Government of India to conduct extrajudicial killings in foreign countries, emphasizing the need for specific information to substantiate Trudeau’s allegations.
Up to this point, the United States has maintained a neutral stance, refraining from assigning blame to India. Nevertheless, Blinken expressed deep concern about Canada’s allegations, emphasizing the importance of accountability for the incident.
