India-Canada row discussed in meeting with EAM Jaishankar: Anthony Blinken

The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken re-emphasised on United States’s stand on the ongoing India-Canada row during the visit of Indian External Affairs Minister(EAM) Dr. S Jaishankar in the US Capital Washington on Thursday. He reiterated on urging India to cooperate in the investigation regarding Canadian allegations

Blinken addresses press

Addressing a press conference on Friday Blinken said that the US is ‘very concerned’ about the allegations the Canadian government has made against India and said that those responsible for the incident need to be “held accountable”.

“As I said before and other colleagues have said before, we are very concerned about the allegations that have been raised by Canada by Prime Minister Trudeau. We have been in close contact with Canada about that,” Blinken said.

Canada’s allegations on India raised during meeting with Jaishankar: Antony Blinken

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“And at the same time, we have engaged with the Indian government and urged them to work with Canada on investigation and I had the opportunity to do so again in my meeting yesterday with Foreign Minister Jaishankar and those responsible need to be held accountable. And we hope that our friends in both Canada and India will work together to resolve this matter,” Blinken added.

Blinken had made a similar statement earlier and said that Washington is “deeply concerned” about the allegations made by the Canadian PM about the Indian government’s involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, adding that the US wants to see accountability and called it “important” that the investigation runs its course and leads to the result.

India-Canada row

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged the Indian government’s involvement in the killing of a Khalistani extremist in Canada in June this year. He made the statement while speaking at the Canadian Parliament last week. 

However, India rejected all claims calling it absurd and motivated. Since then the two countries have been engaged in a diplomatic standoff and a tit-for-tat situation has emerged between India and Canada.

It is to be noted that Canada is set to provide any evidence in support of his claims about India’s hand in the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

In the account of the ongoing, India-Canada diplomatic tussle India has also suspended Visa services to Canadian citizens temporarily citing that the move was made due to “security threats” disrupting work at its missions in Canada.

An advisory for its citizens and those who are travelling to Canada was also issued by India, asking them to exercise “utmost caution in view of growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence” in the country