US in Talks With India ‘At High Levels’ About Canada’s Murder Accusation: Official

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington on Sept. 21, 2023. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The United States is in talks with “Indians at high levels” about Canada’s claim that India’s government was involved in the killing of a prominent Sikh secessionist, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sept. 21.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused “agents” of the Indian government of involvement in the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June, leading to a strain in Canada’s relations with India.

When asked whether President Joe Biden plans to address Canada’s allegations with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Sullivan responded that Washington views it as “a matter of concern.”

“I’m not going to get into private diplomatic conversations that have either already happened or are going to happen on this topic, only to say that we have been and will be in contact with the Indians at high levels on this issue,” he told reporters.

The United States is taking the issue “seriously,” Mr. Sullivan said, noting that there will be no “special exemption” for any countries.

“Regardless of the country, we will stand up and defend our basic principles,” he said. “And we will also consult closely with allies like Canada as they pursue their law enforcement and diplomatic process.”

Mr. Sullivan also expressed his disagreement with reports suggesting a “wedge” between Canada and the United States on the matter.

“I firmly reject the idea that there is a wedge between the U.S. and Canada. We have deep concerns about the allegations, and we would like to see this investigation carried forward and the perpetrators held to account,” he said.

A photograph of late temple president Hardeep Singh Nijjar is seen on a banner outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, on Sept. 18, 2023. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck

Death of Separatist

Mr. Nijjar—a vocal supporter of the Khalistan movement that advocates for a separate Sikh homeland in India’s Punjab region—was shot dead by two masked men in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, on June 18.

Mr. Trudeau said on Sept. 18 that Canadian security agencies were actively pursuing “credible allegations” of “a potential link” between the Indian government and Mr. Nijjar’s murder. The government also expelled a top Indian diplomat.

India’s Foreign Ministry responded by expelling a senior Canadian diplomat, citing concerns about “the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities.”

India also suspended new visas for Canadians. Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Arindam Bagchi said the government had requested a reduction of Canadian diplomats in the country.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walks past Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as they take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Raj Ghat, Mahatma Gandhi's cremation site, during the G20 Summit in New Delhi on Sept. 10, 2023. The Canadian Press via AP/Sean Kilpatrick

Mr. Trudeau has reiterated that Canada is “not looking to provoke or cause problems,” recognizing that India is a country of “growing importance and a country that we need to continue to work with.”

“We call upon the government of India to work with us to take seriously these allegations and to allow justice to follow its course,” he said in New York on Sept. 21 on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

US Seeks Closer Ties With India

Western countries have been promoting “friendshoring,” the practice of relocating supply chains to ally nations, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and seeking to move away from China for a number of reasons. India is the ideal counterbalance in the region as the world’s largest democracy.

For this reason, President Biden has cultivated a relationship with Mr. Modi, despite few ideological similarities between the two and a different stance on the Russia–Ukraine war.

Earlier this month, President Biden traveled to India for the G20 summit. The two leaders held a bilateral meeting ahead of the G20 summit and issued a joint statement “reaffirming the close and enduring partnership” between their countries.

Mr. Modi made his first state visit to the United States in June, a move that the White House viewed as a demonstration of the close partnership between the two countries.

Noé Chartier and The Canadian Press contributed to this report.