In a diplomatic development that has garnered attention on the globalstage, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has told India to collaboratewith Canada to ensure “accountability” concerning the assassination of aSikh separatist figure. The situation escalated when Ottawa leveledallegations of Delhi’s involvement in the killing, resulting in atit-for-tat expulsion of diplomats between the two nations.
Blinken, speaking in New York during the UN General Assembly, emphasizedthe importance of a thorough investigation leading to accountability. Heexpressed hope that India would cooperate with this investigation,highlighting the seriousness with which the United States regards incidentsof “transnational repression.”
The backdrop of this diplomatic row revolves around the murder of HardeepSingh Nijjar, a prominent Canadian Sikh leader, who was fatally shot inJune in front of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia.Nijjar had been an advocate for the Khalistan movement, which seeks anindependent Sikh homeland in India’s Punjab region.
Prior to his death, India had accused Nijjar of involvement in a plot toassassinate a Hindu priest in Punjab, offering a substantial bounty for hiscapture. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statement suggestingpotential links between India and Nijjar’s murder set the stage for theescalating tensions.
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Trudeau, addressing the Canadian Parliament, underscored that anyinvolvement by a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen onCanadian soil was an unacceptable violation of sovereignty. Canada’sForeign Affairs Minister, Mélanie Joly, confirmed the expulsion of a “keyIndian diplomat” and stressed the expectation that India would fullycollaborate in uncovering the truth behind this incident.
Blinken’s call for cooperation emphasizes the broader significance ofmaintaining the integrity of the international system and deterring nationsfrom engaging in acts that could be construed as transnational repression.The evolving situation will undoubtedly have ramifications for diplomaticrelations between these nations in the coming days.
