A big development has happened in a disagreement between the United States and Canada on one side and India on the other. This disagreement is about Canada saying that the Indian government might have been involved in the murder of a Canadian activist named Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.
The US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, spoke at a meeting in Washington on Thursday, September 21. He said that no country gets special treatment for actions like this, referring to the allegations Canada made against India. Canada is a close friend and neighbor of the United States, and they also share intelligence through the Five Eyes network. This makes the situation even more serious. Sullivan stressed that they take this situation very seriously, no matter which country is involved. He promised to keep working on it and support Canada’s efforts in investigating the case.
This issue started when the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, said publicly that there are serious allegations linking the Indian government to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen. India quickly dismissed these allegations as false and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in response. Countries like Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, which are part of the Five Eyes group, expressed their deep concerns about the allegations. They also asked India to help with Canada’s investigation. However, there were reports that Canada wanted these countries to issue a joint statement condemning India, but not everyone supported this, including the United States.
The Washington Post published a story saying Canada had asked its allies to condemn India for breaking international laws. However, Canada’s Foreign Ministry said they didn’t do that, and a senior US official denied the Washington Post’s story. The US National Security Council spokesperson, Adrienne Watson, also said on Twitter that the article was completely false and that the US supports Canada’s law enforcement efforts.
Sullivan defended the US position, saying that as soon as Canada made these allegations, the US expressed its deep concerns and support for a thorough investigation. He also said there’s no disagreement between the US and Canada, emphasizing that they want the investigation to continue and those responsible to be held accountable. When asked if the US had any evidence supporting Canada’s claims, Sullivan didn’t directly answer. He said he wouldn’t talk about intelligence or law enforcement matters but mentioned that Canada claimed to have evidence, including information from a Five Eyes partner.
Sullivan also didn’t say if President Biden had talked to the Indian Prime Minister about this issue. However, he hinted that high-level talks between the US and India were ongoing. Because of this disagreement, India has taken some measures like stopping visa services for Canadians and asking Canada to reduce its diplomatic staff in India to match India’s staff size in Canada.
As this dispute continues, the world is watching closely. The United States is firmly supporting Canada, its ally, while also trying to maintain a relationship with India on this sensitive matter.
