“They Can Speak For Themselves”: U.S. Responds To India’s Reaction On Canada’s Allegations

US State Department spokesperson, Mathew Miller, addressed the recent Canadian allegations concerning the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar and the ongoing investigations. Miller stated that India is capable of representing its stance on the matter and emphasized that Washington has urged New Delhi to cooperate with the Canadian investigation.

During a press briefing, Miller was questioned about whether the issue of Canadian allegations would be raised during a meeting between India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. In response, Miller maintained a diplomatic stance, saying, “One of the practices I’m going to continue to try to adhere to is to not speak publicly about what Secretary Blinken or other representatives of this department will say in their meetings before the Secretary has a chance to say it directly to those counterparts.”

He went on to explain, “We have consistently engaged with the Indian Government on this question and have urged them to cooperate. And that engagement and the urge for them to cooperate will continue.”

When asked about India’s response to the US’ call for cooperation in the investigation, Miller declined to comment on the content of private diplomatic discussions, stating, “They can speak for themselves. I’m not going to speak to what they say in private diplomatic conversations. I will speak to what I say or what we say, and that is we urge them to cooperate with the Canadian investigation.”

Last week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made explosive allegations, accusing the Indian government of involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India firmly rejected these claims, deeming them “absurd” and “motivated.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed deep concern about the allegations made by the Canadian PM and stressed the importance of accountability. Blinken stated, “We are deeply concerned about the allegations that Prime Minister Trudeau has raised. We have been consulting very closely with our Canadian colleagues, and not just consulting, coordinating with them on this issue.” He further emphasized the necessity of the Canadian investigation proceeding and India’s cooperation in the process.

It’s worth noting that Canada has not provided public evidence to support its claims regarding Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing. In response to these developments, India suspended its visa services in Canada. Additionally, India issued an advisory to its citizens and travelers to Canada, urging them to exercise “utmost caution” due to concerns about anti-India activities, politically-condoned hate crimes, and criminal violence in the country.