Washington: The White House has emphasised the need for a thorough investigation into the "serious" allegations made by Canada regarding India's alleged involvement in the killing of a pro-Khalistan leader.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the leader of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was killed in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.
The discussions on Canada's claims took place during a meeting between visiting External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in the United States last week. John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House, addressed the issue during a news conference.
Kirby stated, "The issue was discussed. We'll certainly leave it to those two countries to talk about their bilateral relationship. We've been clear, these allegations are serious, they need to be fully investigated, and of course, as we've said before, we urge India to participate actively in that investigation."
The US State Department's Deputy Spokesperson, Vedant Patel, also commented on the matter during a separate news conference, emphasising the importance of Canada's investigation proceeding and the perpetrators being brought to justice.
"We also have, as we've previously said publicly and privately, urged the Indian government to cooperate in the Canadian investigation and cooperate in those efforts," Patel stated.
Regarding reports about diplomatic staffing levels for the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi, Patel mentioned that the US had seen these reports but did not provide further details. He emphasised the US commitment to its Indo-Pacific strategy and continued collaboration with India on various important regional issues.
"We take these allegations very seriously, and we continue to not just work closely with our Canadian partners but have publicly and privately urged the Indian government to cooperate with Canada," Patel added.