According to US Ambassador to Canada David Cohen, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was made aware of the potential participation of Indian operatives in the murder of Khalistan rebel Hardeep Singh Nijjar through “shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners”.
The Nijjar Issue
In June, Najjar, a recognized terrorist, was shot and killed outside the Gurdwara he oversaw in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver.
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States are members of the ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence-sharing group.
After Trudeau stated on Monday that there were “credible allegations” of Indian participation in the killing of Najjar, which India categorically denies, the relationship between India and Canada reached its lowest point.
Since then, a number of high-ranking officials have left both countries
Latest updates on India vs. Canada diplomatic tensions:
1. David Cohen stated in an interview with CTV News that “the ‘Five Eyes’ partners’ shared intelligence helped lead Canada to make the statements that the prime minister made.”
Cohen made this statement in response to a Washington Post report that said Ottawa had requested its closest allies, including the US, to publicly condemn the murder weeks prior to Trudeau’s shocking announcement, but that request had been rejected, according to CTV.
2. Cohen’s comments came hours after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US is “deeply concerned” about the allegations raised by Trudeau against India, and Washington was “closely coordinating” with Ottawa on the issue and wants to see “accountability” in the case. Speaking at a press conference in New York on Friday, Blinken said the US has engaged directly with the Indian government on the issue, and the most productive thing would be the completion of this investigation.
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3. Earlier, Trudeau asserted that Ottawa had “many weeks ago” given proof to India suggesting it may have been responsible for the murder of Nijjar on Canadian soil. He now wants New Delhi to cooperate with Ottawa to gather information on the “very serious matter.” However, he made no more mention of the evidence that he claimed to have given to India.
