Canada once again accuses India of being involved in the death of an Indian separatist leader. Canada’s prime minister now says the country shared evidence with New Delhi a few weeks ago that Indian government agents were involved in the murder.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday that Ottawa has evidence linking Indian agents to the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, provoking a reaction from New Delhi, which rejects the assertion.

At a press conference this Friday, Trudeau was asked about the accusations and reiterated his call for cooperation from the Indian government.

“We want to work constructively with India. We hope that they will work with us so that we can get to the bottom of this very serious matter,” Trudeau said.

Trudeau also said Canada shared its concerns with New Delhi some time ago.

“Canada shared with India the credible evidence that I spoke about on Monday. We did that several weeks ago,” Trudeau told reporters.

The head of American diplomacy asks India to cooperate with Canada

The head of North American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, asked India on Friday to cooperate with Canada.

“From our point of view, it is crucial that the Canadian investigation continues,” Blinken said when asked about the subject at a news conference in New York.

“And it would be important for India to collaborate with Canadians in this investigation,” he stressed, adding that the United States is in contact with Indian authorities and that Washington wants the investigation to succeed and allow justice is done and accountability is met. established.

“We are extremely vigilant whenever there are allegations of transnational repression, it is something that we take very, very seriously,” said the head of the US Department of Foreign Affairs.

Murder of a Sikh leader and Canadian citizen

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau opened a diplomatic crisis by suggesting that Indian authorities were involved in the murder last June of a Sikh leader and Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, shot dead on June 18 by unknown assailants in the parking lot of a Sikh temple, was accused of terrorism by the Indian authorities for having advocated the creation of an independent country in the state of Punjab, Khalistan, for the Sikh minority.

Trudeau’s accusation was followed by Canada’s expulsion of an Indian diplomat in Ottawa and New Delhi, deeming the accusation “absurd”, also expelled a Canadian diplomat.

The matter is delicate for the United States, a neighboring country and historic ally of Canada, but which is committed, under the leadership of President Joe Biden, to get closer to the Indian government led by Narendra Modi.

The White House quickly denied on Thursday any “disagreement” between the United States and Canada on India, in reaction to information appearing in the press.

With Lusa and Reuters