India not cooperating with Canadian investigation: US State department
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New York: The United States said that India was not cooperating with Canadian authorities probing the alleged link between Indian government agents and incidents of violence in Canada especially targeting of Sikh separatists.
US Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller told a press briefing in Washington that the US had made it clear that Canada’s allegations are ‘extremely serious’ and should be ‘taken seriously’.
Matthew Miller said: ‘And we wanted to see the Government of India cooperate with Canada in its investigation. Obviously, they have not chosen that path.’
Only a day before Canadian police officials did claim that Indian government agents were working with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s group to carry out criminal activity in Canada such as homicides and extortion.
Meanwhile, The Washington Post on Monday termed Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing in June 2023 as part of a campaign against Indian dissidents orchestrated by a senior Indian official and an operative of the country’s external intelligence agency, The Research and Analysis Wing.
The report, quoting some unnamed Canadian officials, claimed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah authorised information-gathering missions and attacks on Sikh separatists.
India’s foreign ministry is yet to respond to the allegation against Shah.
Canada’s allegations came after India withdrew High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and other diplomats from the country, alongside expelling six Canadian diplomats.
Meanwhile, a probe team from India was on Tuesday in Washington DC to look into alleged assassination plot on Sikh separatist, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Miller told the press that team’s meeting had nothing to do with Canadian investigation.
The United States Department of Justice accused an India official of plotting to kill Pannun.
