Shillong, September 22: The United States revealed on Thursday that it has maintained ongoing communication with India and Canada as diplomatic tensions between New Delhi and Ottawa escalate over allegations of the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil.
As per India Today, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated to reporters, “I am not going to get into the private diplomatic conversations that have either already happened or going to happen on this topic. We have been and will be in contact with Indians at high levels on this issue.” He was responding to a question about whether US President Joe Biden plans to speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the diplomatic dispute.
Sullivan emphasized, “It is a matter of concern for us. It is something we take seriously. It is something we will keep working on,” while adding that there was “no special exemption” for India in this case.
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau had accused “agents of the Indian government” of involvement in Nijjar’s killing, who was the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). New Delhi promptly dismissed these claims as “absurd” and “motivated,” leading to the expulsion of a senior Canadian diplomat in response to Ottawa’s expulsion of an Indian official over the case.
Nijjar, a highly-wanted terrorist in India with a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, was fatally shot by two unidentified gunmen outside a gurdwara in Surrey, in the western Canadian province of British Columbia, on June 18.
Sullivan rejected the notion that the US’s desire to strengthen its ties with India would hinder its ability to express concerns about these allegations. He affirmed that the Biden administration takes Canada’s allegations “seriously” and maintains “constant contact” with Ottawa.
“We are in constant contact with our Canadian counterparts,” Sullivan stated, as reported by the Financial Times. He further stated, “There’s not some special exemption you get for actions like this. Regardless of the country, we will stand up and defend our basic principles. We will also consult closely with allies like Canada as they pursue their law enforcement and diplomatic process,” as reported by Reuters.
Sullivan firmly refuted the idea of a rift between the US and Canada on this issue, as suggested by some media outlets. He stated, “We have deep concerns about the allegations and we would like to see this investigation carried forward and the perpetrators held to account. That is what the US has stood for from the moment this emerged in public, and we will continue to stand for that until this fully plays its way out.”
On Thursday, India called on Canada to take strong action against terrorists and anti-India elements operating from its soil and suspended visa services for Canadians, further exacerbating the diplomatic standoff over Nijjar’s killing and pushing bilateral relations to an all-time low.