The United States on Monday backed Canada in its diplomatic row with India and urged the Indian government to cooperate with Canadian investigations.
“When it comes to the Canadian matter, we have made it clear that the allegations are extremely serious, and they need to be taken seriously,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said during a press briefing.
“We want to see the Indian government cooperate with Canada in its investigation,” he added. “Obviously, they have not; they have chosen an alternate path.”
India and Canada, both key U.S. partners, expelled each other’s ambassadors and other diplomats on Monday over Canadian allegations that Indian government agents were involved in a violent campaign against Sikh separatists on Canadian soil.
Ottawa has specifically alleged that New Delhi was involved in the assassination last year of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an India-born advocate for an independent Sikh state who had immigrated to Canada and become a citizen.
When asked about a delegation of visiting Indian officials to discuss the involvement of Indian agents in the assassination attempt on a Sikh separatist who is also a U.S. citizen, Miller responded, “I don’t have a readout on the meeting yet.”
“The meeting took place as a follow-up to conversations we’ve been having with the Indian government at the highest levels over the past several months,” he added.
“They have told us that they are taking the allegations seriously and that the activities described in the DOJ indictment do not reflect official government policy,” Miller said.
Matthew Miller also claimed that India is not cooperating with Canada regarding its investigation into the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year.
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