Sept 26 (Reuters) – Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Tuesday that India has told Canada it is open to investigating any “specific” or “relevant” information it provides about the killing of the Sikh separatist. Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last week that Ottawa had credible intelligence linking Indian agents to the killing, prompting an initial angry reaction from New Delhi, which denies the allegation.
When asked about the allegations at a Council on Foreign Relations event in New York, Jaishankar detailed India’s response in diplomatic engagements.
“First, we told Canadians that this is not the policy of the Indian government,” he said. “Secondly, we told Canadians, look, if you have something specific, if you have something relevant, let us know; we’re open to looking at it.”
India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar looks on as he delivers his speech at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Post Ministerial Conference with India during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Jakarta, on July 13, 2023, where Myanmar’s seat was left empty. BAY ISMOYO/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire license rights
Last week, India suspended new visas for Canadians and asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence in the country, citing what it called a deteriorating security environment.
India had been “bothering Canadians” over its claims that organized criminals are based there, referring to separatists like Nijjar, he said, adding that India had made “a large number of extradition requests.”
“The picture is not complete without context,” he added. “You also have to appreciate that in recent years, Canada has seen a lot of organized crime, you know, related to secessionist forces, organized crime, violence, extremism, they are all very, very deeply confused.”
Canada’s allies, including the United States, have cautiously adopted expressed concern on the claims and urged India to cooperate with Canada’s investigation.
The United States ambassador to Canada Canadian said television that some information about the case had been collected by the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which includes the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Reporting by Simon Lewis and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Leslie Adler and Timothy Gardner
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