India-Canada standoff: Trudeau wants ‘closer ties’ with India; probe into Nijjar’s killing ‘active and ongoing’

Trudeau’s stance

Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that his country is still committed to building closer ties with India. “India is a growing economic power and important geopolitical player. And as we presented with our Indo-Pacific strategy, just last year, we’re very serious about building closer ties with India,” he told the Canadian newspaper National Post.

“At the same time, obviously, as a rule of law country, we need to emphasise that India needs to work with Canada to ensure that we get the full facts of this matter,” he added, as per the report.

Trudeau said that he had received assurances that Blinken would raise the issues with Jaishankar when the duo met in Washington D C. “The Americans have been with us in speaking to the Indian government about how important it is that they be involved in following up on the credible allegations that agents of the Indian government killed a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil,” he said.

“This is something that all democratic countries, all countries that respect the rule of law need to take seriously. We are moving forward in a thoughtful, responsible way anchored in the rule of law with all of our partners including in our approach to the Government of India,” Trudeau added.

Blinken-Jaishankar meeting

The Blinken-Jaishankar meeting came hours after the Canadian police said that the probe into Nijjar’s killing is “active and ongoing” and that relevant video footage has been collected from the murder site.

Following the meeting, both ministers took to Twitter to share details of the same. “Thank you to Indian External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar for hosting @POTUS earlier this month. We discussed India’s successful G20 presidency, creation of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, and the upcoming #USIndia 2+2 Dialogue in New Delhi,” wrote Blinken.

“Great to meet my friend US Secretary of State @SecBlinken at State Department today,” wrote Jaishankar, sharing pictures from the meeting.

Great to meet my friend US Secretary of State @SecBlinken at State Department today.

A wide ranging discussion, following up on PM @narendramodi’s June visit. Also exchanged notes on global developments.

Laid the groundwork of our 2+2 meeting very soon. pic.twitter.com/mOw9SIX1dO

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 28, 2023

Meanwhile, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, addressed questions on the matter ahead of the meeting, saying, “We have consistently engaged with the Indian government on this question and have urged them to cooperate.”

In a readout issued after the meeting, Miller said: “Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar today in Washington, D C  Secretary Blinken and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar discussed a full range of issues, including key outcomes of India’s G20 presidency, and the creation of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and its potential to generate transparent, sustainable, and high-standard infrastructure investments.”

“The Secretary and the External Affairs Minister also emphasised the continued importance of cooperation ahead of the upcoming 2+2 Dialogue, in particular in the areas of defense, space, and clean energy,” the readout added. The 2+2 Dialogue refers to targeted meetings between the US and Indian foreign and defense ministers.

Tensions broke out between India and Canada earlier this month after PM Trudeau alleged that the Indian government had potentially been involved in the shooting of Nijjar, an Indian-born Canadian national wanted in India for terrorism. Nijjar was shot dead outside a gurudwara in British Columbia’s Surrey in June 2023.

‘India can speak for itself’

During a routine press briefing on Thursday, Miller was asked about Trudeau’s comments and what India’s response has been to the US’ “continuous engagement” on the Nijjar killing.

“I’m not going to speak to – they can speak for themselves,” Miller said, adding, “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.”

He said that the US has “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.”

Probe ‘ongoing’, says Canada

The Canadian police have confirmed that the probe into Nijjar’s killing is “active and ongoing”. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team is in charge of the probe, said its spokesperson.

“We are aware of reports being made regarding the homicide of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. As this remains an active and ongoing investigation, I’m unable to comment on specific evidence collected by IHIT,” IHIT spokesperson Sergeant Timothy Pierotti told the news agency PTI. He added that the police have done a “full canvas of the area” and have collected evidence and video surveillance.

Meanwhile, a row broke out over how US-based daily The Washington Post accessed security camera footage of Nijjar’s killing.

“We’ve been told by the temple that the video is not for the media, the public because it’s an ongoing investigation. That video won’t be released to anyone. It’s an ongoing investigation,” Gurkeerat Singh, a spokesman for the gurdwara who has seen the video himself, told Canada’s national news agency The Canadian Press.

“It wasn’t something done randomly. These people are watching the movement of Hardeep Singh for a while and they know the direction he goes and how he exits the gurdwara,” he said.