BackNijjar killing row: ‘In close coordination with Canada’, US urges India to cooperate with probe
Biden administration urges the Indian government to cooperate in the investigation of Khalistani terrorist's death in Canada.
PremiumThe Biden Administration urged the Indian government to cooperate with Canada in its investigations into the death of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a US State Department official said on Monday.
Secretary of State Tony Blinken raised the issue during his meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar here last week.
Addressing a daily news conference, State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller said, “As he made clear then, I’ll reiterate now, we remain in close coordination with our Canadian colleagues on this question."
“We have engaged with the Indian government on a number of occasions to urge them to cooperate with Canada’s investigation. The secretary had an opportunity to do that in his meeting with the foreign minister on Friday," he said as quoted by PTI.
“I will let the Indian government speak for themselves and I will speak for the United States government, and we urge that cooperation," the official said when asked if India has agreed to cooperate with Canada.
Currently, the United States is in close coordination with Canada on allegations regarding the Indian government’s involvement in the Nijjar killing row, ANI reported.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently alleged that the Indian government was behind the fatal shooting of Nijjar, who was a designated terrorist in India. He was gunned down outside a Gurdwara, in a parking area in Canada's Surrey, British Columbia on June 18.
Trudeau claimed his country's national security officials had reasons to believe that "agents of the Indian government" carried out the killing of the Canadian citizen, who also served as the president of Surrey's Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara.
Notably, Canada has yet to provide any public evidence to support the claim about the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
India has suspended its visa services in Canada, following Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau's allegations of Indian involvement in the killing.
Amid strained ties, India issued an advisory for its citizens and those who are traveling to Canada to exercise “utmost caution in view of growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence" in the country.
(With inputs from agencies)
Milestone Alert!Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world 🌏 Click here to know more.
