S Jaishankar to Meet US Secy Blinken in Washington Amid India-Canada StandOff

Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar is set to meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington today, amid rising diplomatic tensions between India and Canada stemming from the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil in June of this year.

The US has called for India to cooperate with Canada’s investigation into Nijjar’s killing. India has firmly rejected Canada’s allegations of involvement, labelling them as “baseless.” Jaishankar has assured Canada that India is open to investigating the matter if provided with specific information regarding Nijjar’s killing.

During his address at the 78th UN General Assembly, Jaishankar urged member states to resist “political convenience” when responding to extremism, terrorism, and violence, which was seen as a veiled criticism of Canada. He also called on UN member states to respect territorial integrity and non-interference in the internal affairs of countries, hinting at both China and Canada’s actions in recent events.

The diplomatic dispute between India and Canada began when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed to possess “credible allegations” of India’s involvement in Nijjar’s killing on Canadian soil.