During a meeting with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged India to cooperate with a Canadian investigation into the murder of a Sikh separatist, according to a US official. The meeting, which took place on Thursday in Washington, raised tensions surrounding the case.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had earlier alleged an Indian role in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen who India had declared a “terrorist.” Nijjar supported the cause of Khalistan, seeking an independent homeland for Sikhs carved out of India.
India has vehemently dismissed Canada’s allegations as absurd, resulting in a strained relationship that led to both governments expelling a diplomat in a retaliatory move.
While Blinken raised the Canadian matter during the meeting and urged Indian cooperation with Canada’s investigation, the official State Department statement made no mention of the issue. The murder case, which has strained diplomatic ties, remains a sensitive and contentious topic.
The United States, like other traditional Canadian allies, has approached the matter cautiously. This is in part because Washington and other major players view India as a counterweight to China’s growing influence in the region.
Blinken and Jaishankar discussed various topics during their meeting, including India’s G20 presidency, the creation of an India-Middle East-Europe corridor, and areas of cooperation such as defense, space, and clean energy. However, the official State Department readout did not reference Nijjar’s murder or Canada’s allegations.
India’s Foreign Minister Jaishankar stated earlier that New Delhi had expressed its willingness to examine any “specific” or “relevant” information provided by Canada regarding the killing. Trudeau had previously claimed to share “credible allegations” with India several weeks ago but has not publicly disclosed any evidence.
Last week, Blinken and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan expressed deep concern about the allegations raised by Trudeau. The US ambassador to Canada noted that some information on the case had been gathered by the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which comprises the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.
