Washington

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has said that the Biden administration is in touch with Indian officials following unsubstantiated claims by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that "Indian government agents" were involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.

His briefing came even as it was reported that visiting US President Joe Biden discussed the matter with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his trip to New Delhi earlier this month to attend the G20 Summit.

Briefing the reporters on Thursday (Sept 21), Sullivan said Washington believes in its principles, regardless of what country is affected, while responding to a question about whether the US is concerned over the allegations.

"It is a matter of concern for us. It is something we take seriously. It is something we will keep working on, and we will do that regardless of the country," Sullivan told reporters at the White House.

"There's not some special exemption you get for actions like this. Regardless of the country, we will stand up and defend our basic principles and we will also consult closely with allies like Canada as they pursue their law enforcement and diplomatic process."

Biden talked with Modi on Nijjar killing during G20

US President Joe Biden, among other leaders, expressed concerns to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Canada's claims that New Delhi was involved in the killing of separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, during the G20 Summit earlier this month, a Financial Times report has claimed. 

Citing three people familiar with the discussions at the summit, the publication said several members of the Five Eyes - an intelligence-sharing alliance of US, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, raised the issue with PM Modi. The report added that Biden "felt it was important to raise the issue directly with his Indian counterpart". 

"The leaders intervened at the G20 summit after Canada urged its allies to raise the case directly with Modi, said two people familiar with the situation, who added Ottawa asked them to mention the claims in private," the report claimed. 

Up until the last update, neither did the White House confirm the veracity of the report, nor did New Delhi issue any statement that the matter was raised during the summit. 

Experts say that even if Biden did raise the issue at G20, the fact that Washington has refrained from getting in on the controversy so far, suggests that Ottawa was left hanging. 

Notably, a Washington Post report published earlier this week stated that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had asked his closest allies, including the US, to publicly condemn the Sikh separatist's killing, but the requests were turned down. The report did not mention the G20 summit and whether it was the place where Washington was made aware of the allegations. 

Also read | US, other allies refused to join Canada in condemning India over Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s death: Report

Trudeau and G20

Interestingly, the G20 Summit in New Delhi was the place where Trudeau was extended a cold shoulder treatment by the Modi government. Owing to Trudeau's affinity towards the separatist movement brewing in Canada, the Modi government has maintained its distance from his liberal government for some years now. 

Trudeau received meagre media coverage during the trip and only managed to hold a bilateral with his counterpart on the last day of the summit where he was given a dressing down. Afterwards, he remained stuck in the capital for 36 hours as his designated plane developed a technical fault.  

Watch | India-Canada row: India rejects allegations by Canada PM Trudeau, terms them 'absurd & motivated'

What did Trudeau say?

Upon reaching Canada, Trudeau escalated the diplomatic standoff by telling an emergency parliament session that his government was probing "credible allegations" that New Delhi may have had a prominent role in the killing of Nijjar - a Canadian citizen, according to him. 

"Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the Government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar," said Trudeau in a statement to the House of Commons.

However, since then Trudeau has changed his tune and is now looking to pacify New Delhi after receiving no support from allies. The Canadian PM said Ottawa wants New Delhi to address the issue properly.

"Canada is not trying to provoke India by suggesting its agents were linked to the murder of a Sikh separatist leader but Ottawa wants New Delhi to address the issue properly," he said on Tuesday (September 19).

(With inputs from agencies)

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