U.S. officials opt against condemning India for response to allegations of violent crimes in Canada
American officials did not condemn India's response to explosive accusations that its government has been involved in an escalating number of violent crimes in Canada.
On Monday, Ottawa expelled six Indian diplomats after the RCMP said it had credible evidence that Indian agents played a role in extortion, coercion and murder of Canadian citizens on Canadian soil.
U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller would not comment on the substance of these new claims at a news conference on Tuesday, and he did not criticize India's decision to also expel six Canadian diplomats.
"As we've said before, they are serious allegations and we have wanted to see India take them seriously and co-operate with Canada's investigation. They have chosen an alternate path," he said.
Miller said the U.S. has long been asking India to co-operate with Canadian authorities. In September 2023, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canadian intelligence services were investigating credible information about a potential link between India's government and the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh activist, in Surrey, B.C.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh speaks to reporters on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024 (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick)
Miller's comments came 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 an attempted assassination in the United States, and spoke about others, including Nijjar.
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, calling the timing "completely coincidental."
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said he would not speak about the Canadian case but said the Indian government's decision to send an inquiry committee to Washington signals that India is taking the situation seriously.
"I wouldn’t speak for the Canadians one way or another," he said. "But we have expressed our deep concern about this to our Indian counterparts. They have expressed to us that they are taking it seriously," Kirby said.
India has insisted Canada has provided it no evidence to back up any of the allegations.
RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme said the force's 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's agreement to revoke the diplomatic immunity of the six individuals so they could be interviewed, but India refused.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Monday that India's 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.
She also said Monday that she had reached out to Canada's peers in the Five Eyes intelligence alliance about the situation, which includes the U.S. and New Zealand.
New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters suggested he would let the judicial processes unfold in a statement that did not mention India.
"The alleged criminal conduct outlined publicly by Canadian law enforcement authorities, if proven, would be very concerning," Peters wrote on X, saying Ottawa had flagged "ongoing criminal investigations into violence and threats of violence against members of its South Asian community."
Vina Nadjibulla, research vice-president for the Asia Pacific Foundation, said before these statements that it's crucial Canada receive support from its allies, possibly through diplomatic moves behind the scenes as well as public statements of support.
"We are in uncharted territory, with implications for the diplomatic relationship as well as for Canada's public safety and national security," she said.
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 public its concerns about Nijjar's killing last year.
"Canada did what it thought was necessary," Nadjibulla said.
"In 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."
In British Columbia, the Sikh gurdwara where Nijjar was president hosted a news conference at which temple leaders and a Sikh independence group called for India's consulates in Vancouver and Toronto to be shut down.
Gurkeerat Singh, a spokesman for the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, said that "the safety and the security of Sikhs will still be in question" as long as the missions continued to operate.
Jatinder Singh Grewal of the pro-independence advocacy group Sikhs for Justice, which Nijjar had been involved with, called the consulates "houses of terror" that needed to be shut down.
In Ottawa, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called Tuesday for "severe sanctions on Indian diplomats" involved in criminal activity. The RCMP said Monday there were six Indian diplomats it sought to question about 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.
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 "other steps we can take to keep Canadians safe."
The Bloc Québécois asked Tuesday for the government to "intensify collaboration with Canada's allies in terms of intelligence and solidarity, in the face of such acts." The Conservatives on Monday denounced Canada's "extremely concerning" allegations as proof that the government had not taken foreign interference and national security seriously.
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.
Trade Minister Mary Ng released a statement acknowledging 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.
"However, we must consider our economic interests with the need to protect Canadians and uphold the rule of law," she said. "We will not tolerate any foreign government threatening, extorting or harming Canadian citizens on our soil."
Ng said the government remains "open to a dialogue" with India and looks forward to continuing a "valued relationship."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2024.
— With files from Kelly Geraldine Malone, Laura Osman and Brenna Owen
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lawyers allege foreign interference in high-profile Canadian mafia deportation case
Lawyers for an alleged high-ranking member of the Italian Mafia in Toronto claim evidence is being used against him that is the product of foreign interference by Italian police.
The Royal Canadian Legion turns to Amazon for annual poppy campaign boost
The Royal Canadian Legion says a new partnership with e-commerce giant Amazon is helping boost its veterans' fund, and will hopefully expand its donor base in the digital world.
Should Toronto tear up its bike lanes to improve traffic flow? Critics say it's not so simple
A congestion crisis, a traffic nightmare, or unrelenting gridlock -- whatever you call it, most agree that Toronto has a congestion problem. To alleviate some of the gridlock, the Ontario government has announced it plans to remove bike lanes from three major roadways.
Super giant TVs are flying off store shelves
Televisions that measure 97 inches (and more) diagonally across – a.k.a. XXL TVs – are becoming a huge hit as the cost of giant screens sinks sharply, and viewers look to replace the screens they bought during the peak of the pandemic a few years ago.
Canada's response to Trump deportation plan a key focus of revived cabinet committee
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's promise to launch a mass deportation of millions of undocumented people has the Canadian government looking at its own border.
Here's what this year's Starbucks holiday cups look like
The holidays officially begin this week — at least at Starbucks — when the coffee chain rolls out its annual seasonal cups.
Migrants crossing the Darien heard of Donald Trump's victory — and picked up the pace
Jesus Chavez, a 34-year-old pastry chef from Barquisimeto, Venezuela, arrived in this small village at Panama’s edge of the Darien jungle on Friday.
'Saturday Night Live' to take on a second Trump term after focusing on Harris
'Saturday Night Live' is likely to strike a new tone as it looks toward a second term for Donald Trump in its first episode since his election victory.
New technology solves mystery of late First World War soldier's flower sent home to Canada
In 1916, Harold Wrong plucked a flower from the fields of Somme, France and tucked it into a letter he mailed home to Toronto. For decades, the type of flower sent remained a mystery.
Local Spotlight
'There was no stopping this baby from coming': Woman gives birth while on board N.L. ferry
A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.
B.C. man discovers 115 stuffed animals hidden behind wall, begins donating them to people around world
As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.
'We put love into it': Group of N.S. women gather to make quilts for those in need
A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.
Vancouver musician lands 'meaningful interaction' with Ed Sheeran after busking outside his show
A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.
10K hand-knit poppies displayed at the Dartmouth Cenotaph
Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.
'I put my whole life on hold': B.C. man embarks on Arctic to Antarctica trek
A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.
Windsor teen's shredded pepperoni pizza post goes viral
A Windsor teen’s social media post showing off a distinctive Windsor pizza topping has gone viral, drawing millions of views worldwide and sparking new curiosity about Windsor-style pizza.
'You look like me': 7-year-old who went viral for his Auston Matthews Halloween costume meets Leafs star
Auston Matthews has come face to face with his look-alike. On Thursday, the Maple Leafs star met seven-year-old Grayson Joseph, who went viral for dressing up as an Auston Matthews hockey card.
'You never know what you're going to find': Halifax junk remover shares some of his company's strangest discoveries
A Halifax junk remover shares some of his company’s strangest discoveries.