Canada Seeks India’s Cooperation Amid US Claims of Foiled Assassination Plot – News18

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has asked India to cooperate in a probe of the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia after the US claimed it had foiled an assassination attempt against a Sikh separatist on its soil.

“The news coming out of the United States further underscores what we’ve been talking about from the very beginning, which is that India needs to take this seriously,” Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa on Wednesday.

This comes after the United States charged an Indian national with a conspiracy to murder Sikhs for Justice founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who is a US citizen and has been designated a terrorist by the Indian government. The US attorney’s office on Wednesday said Nikhil Gupta was arrested by Czech authorities in June and is awaiting extradition.

Read More: US Charges Indian National with Conspiracy to Murder SFJ Founder Gurpatwant Pannun

The US charges come about two months after Canada said there were “credible” allegations linking Indian agents to the Nijjar’s killing in June. India outrightly rejected that allegation and asked Canada to furnish solid proof. In light of the US allegations, India is closely monitoring Gupta’s case, sources told News18.

However, asserting that Indian agencies assigned him the task to kill Pannun is presumptuous. Despite US pressure on the Czech Republic for Gupta’s extradition, Indian authorities emphasise the lack of evidence against him. Sources maintain that New Delhi and Washington maintain ongoing communication to prevent any strain in their relationship.

Read More: India Takes Inputs on Security from US Seriously, Issues Being Examined: MEA

On Wednesday, India said it takes inputs on security matters from the US seriously since they impinge on its own national security concerns as well. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) made these comments in response to queries about a report the US had thwarted an attempt to kill Pannun on American soil.

“During the course of recent discussions on India-US security cooperation, the US side shared some inputs pertaining to nexus between organised criminals, gun runners, terrorists and others,” said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi about discussions between India and US on security matters. He said the inputs were a cause of concern for both countries and they decided to take necessary follow-up action.

(With agency inputs)