American officials have opted against condemning India香蕉视频直播檚 response to the explosive accusations that its diplomats were involved in an escalating number of violent crimes in Canada.
On Monday, Ottawa expelled six Indian diplomats after the RCMP said it believes Indian agents played a role in extortion, coercion and murder.
U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller says Washington takes the allegations seriously, but would not comment on the substance of the new claims or on India香蕉视频直播檚 decision to also expel six Canadian diplomats.
Miller says the U.S. has been asking India to co-operate with Canadian authorities for months, after the assassination of a Sikh activist near Vancouver last year.
In Ottawa, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is calling for any Indian diplomats involved in criminal activity in this country to face 香蕉视频直播渟evere sanctions.香蕉视频直播�
The Liberal government is also trying to assure Canadian businesses that it wants trade with India to continue even though allegations of illegal activity caused Ottawa to suspend negotiations for a free-trade deal a year ago.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Miller did not directly criticize India香蕉视频直播檚 decision not to co-operate with Canadian investigations.
香蕉视频直播淎s we香蕉视频直播檝e said before, they are serious allegations and we have wanted to see India take them seriously and co-operate with Canada香蕉视频直播檚 investigation. They have chosen an alternate path.香蕉视频直播�
His comments come as an Indian delegation visited Washington to discuss an alleged murder-for-hire plot that U.S. officials revealed last November.
An unsealed indictment alleged an Indian government employee had directed the attempted assassination in the United States, and spoke about others, including the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar last June in Surrey, B.C.
Miller said the visit by what he called the Indian inquiry committee, announced on Monday, was unrelated to the allegations made public by Canadian authorities that same day.
香蕉视频直播淭he statement announcing the meeting was planned early last week, maybe (the) end of the week before 香蕉视频直播� well before we were aware of the actions that Canada was going to take over the past few days. So it is completely coincidental,香蕉视频直播� Miller said.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby had similar comments on Tuesday.
香蕉视频直播淚 wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 speak for the Canadians one way or another. But we have expressed our deep concern about this to our Indian counterparts. They have expressed to us that they are taking it seriously,香蕉视频直播� he said.
As the seriousness of the situation began to settle in Tuesday, Canada香蕉视频直播檚 Trade Minister Mary Ng moved to reassure Canadian businesses with ties to India. In a statement, Ng acknowledged the uncertainty that businesses and investors may have as a result as the diplomatic expulsions. She said the government will continue to support commercial and economic ties between the countries.
香蕉视频直播淗owever, we must consider our economic interests with the need to protect Canadians and uphold the rule of law,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淲e will not tolerate any foreign government threatening, extorting or harming Canadian citizens on our soil.香蕉视频直播�
Ng said the government remains 香蕉视频直播渙pen to a dialogue香蕉视频直播� with India and looks forward to continuing a 香蕉视频直播渧alued relationship.香蕉视频直播�
The House of Commons is not sitting this week, preventing an immediate debate on the matter, but Singh said his party will be asking the House public safety committee to study 香蕉视频直播渙ther steps we can take to keep Canadians safe.香蕉视频直播�
He called for 香蕉视频直播渟evere sanctions on Indian diplomats香蕉视频直播� involved in criminal activity. The RCMP in its comments Monday said there were six Indian diplomats they sought to question about the violent activities in Canada, and those six are the ones Canada expelled.
Singh said Canada must also ban a Hindu group that has been accused of hate speech by Sikh and Muslim groups.
香蕉视频直播淲e are in uncharted territory, with implications for the diplomatic relationship as well as for Canada香蕉视频直播檚 public safety and national security,香蕉视频直播� said Vina Nadjibulla, research vice-president for the Asia Pacific Foundation.
Nadjibulla said she香蕉视频直播檚 watching to see how Canada香蕉视频直播檚 peers respond to the 香蕉视频直播渦nprecedented, extraordinary香蕉视频直播� news. That could mean diplomatic moves behind the scenes, and possibly public statements of support for Canada.
香蕉视频直播淭he reaction from the U.S. is going to be the one that everybody will be paying attention to,香蕉视频直播� she said.
香蕉视频直播淚n order for Canada, at this stage, to have any kind of co-operation from India and seek accountability for what has happened, we would need India to feel some pressure; we would need India to feel some reason to co-operate.香蕉视频直播�
The Bloc Qu茅b茅cois asked Tuesday for the government to 香蕉视频直播渋ntensify collaboration with Canada香蕉视频直播檚 allies in terms of intelligence and solidarity, in the face of such acts.香蕉视频直播�
The Conservatives Monday denounced Canada香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播渆xtremely concerning香蕉视频直播� allegations as proof that the government had not taken foreign interference and national security seriously.
India has insisted Canada has provided it no evidence to back up any of the allegations.
RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme said the force香蕉视频直播檚 deputy commissioner tried to share evidence with Indian police last week but was rebuffed. This past weekend, deputy foreign affairs minister David Morrison, along with the RCMP, presented evidence to India in meetings held in Singapore. Canada sought India香蕉视频直播檚 agreement to revoke the diplomatic immunity of the six individuals but India refused.
Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly said India香蕉视频直播檚 refusal to co-operate is why Canada declared the six diplomats persona non grata, which is one of the stiffest penalties Canada can impose under the Vienna Convention.
Nadjibulla said it was notable that Joly accused active diplomats of involvement in criminality, and that she said violence linked to the Indian government had only increased since Canada made its concerns public last year.
In September 2023, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canadian intelligence services were investigating 香蕉视频直播渃redible香蕉视频直播� information about 香蕉视频直播渁 potential link香蕉视频直播� between India香蕉视频直播檚 government and Nijjar香蕉视频直播檚 killing.
