India-Canada row | Blinken says U.S. ‘wants to see accountability’ on Nijjar slaying

U.S. Sec. of State Blinken expressed "deep concern" over India's alleged role in the death of Khalistani separatist leader Nijjar in Canada. He urged India to cooperate with the investigation and called on countries not to engage in "transnational repression". Trudeau also reiterated his allegation, stressing the importance of rule of law and an international rules-based order.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. was “deeply concerned” about allegations that India had a role in the death of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia and that it wanted to see accountability for the incident.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had told the country’s parliament on Monday that there were reasons to believe agents of the Government of India were involved in killing Mr Nijjar in June this year.

“It would be important that India work with the Canadians on this investigation,” Mr. Blinken told reporters at a press briefing in New York on Friday. “We want to see accountability and it’s important that the investigation run its course and lead to that to that result.”

World leaders and diplomats have gathered in the city for the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The U.S. was not just consulting with the Canadians, but cooperating with them in the investigation, according to the Secretary.

“I think the most productive thing that can happen now is to see this investigation move forward, be completed,” he said adding that he hoped that “our Indian friends” would cooperate.

Questioned on the nature of U.S. engagement with India on the matter, Mr. Blinken did not want to get into specifics, saying instead that the U.S. government had been directly engaging the Indian government on the issue.