The United States and Australia have expressed concerns over charges against Indian authorities by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, according to respective official statements quoted in the media.
Trudeau told the House of Commons on Monday that the Canadian authorities possessed “credible evidence” on potential links between Indian government “agents” and the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a pro-Khalistan activist shot dead by unidentified men at a Sikh community centre in British Columbia in June.
While Canada has expelled a senior Indian diplomat in the wake of Trudeau’s charges, New Delhi on Tuesday retaliated diplomatically by asking a senior Canadian diplomat to leave the country in five days.
White House spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement on Monday that the probe into the matter was “critical” and demanded that “perpetrators be brought to justice”.
Watson reportedly said that the Biden administration remained “deeply concerned” over the allegations levelled by Prime Minister Trudeau.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told Australian media that Canberra was “deeply concerned” at the charges levelled by Trudeau against New Delhi.
“We have conveyed our concerns at senior levels to India,” an Australian official stated, noting that Canberra was in touch with its partners on the probe into the matter.
The statements from the US and Australia make no mention of New Delhi’s concerns about pro-Khalistan separatists being “provided shelter” in Canada, as stated by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday morning.
New Delhi has described Trudeau’s charges as “absurd and motivated”, saying that it was a “democratic polity with a strong commitment to the rule of law”.
India’s Concerns Over Khalistan Activities in Western Nations
The MEA stated that Canada was trying to “shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists” in its own backyard by levelling “unsubstantiated allegations” against New Delhi.
“That Canadian political figures have openly expressed sympathy for such elements remains a matter of deep concern,” it said.
In recent months, India has officially voiced concerns over the activities of pro-Khalistan groups not only in Canada, but also in Australia, the US and even the United Kingdom (UK).
India's diplomatic missions in all the four countries, which are part of the Five Eyes Network, have come under attack from Khalistani separatists in recent months.