Blinken on Canada-India rift: ‘Those responsible must be held accountable’

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is again urging India to co-operate with Canada to bring Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killers to justice.

Blinken confirmed that he delivered that message Thursday in his meeting with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s external affairs minister.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has publicly implicated the Indian government in the shooting death of Nijjar, a prominent Sikh separatist and Canadian citizen.

Blinken says the U.S. has been in close contact with both countries about the allegations since Trudeau made them public earlier this month in the House of Commons.

A State Department readout of Blinken’s meeting with Jaishankar made no mention of the controversy, but experts in global diplomacy say that’s not surprising.

The allegations have put the U.S. in an awkward spot, with the Biden administration courting India as it develops a geopolitical bulwark against the mounting influence of China.

“We’re very concerned about the allegations that have been raised by Canada, by Prime Minister Trudeau,” Blinken told a news conference Friday.

“Those responsible need to be held accountable, and we hope that our friends in both Canada and India will work together to resolve this matter.”

The Canadian Press