The Wire Staff 
New Delhi: Amid the unprecedented escalation of the diplomatic row between India and Canada, the United States’s State Department on Tuesday (October 15) termed the allegations made by Canada “extremely serious” and said that that it wanted to see India cooperate with Canada in its investigation but the former has chosen an “alternate path.”
The US State Department’s statement came right after India and Canada expelled six of each other’s diplomats, including their top envoys, over Ottawa’s allegations that Indian government agents were involved in killing a pro-Khalistan activist in Canada in 2023.
‘Wanted to see the Government of India cooperate with Canada in its investigation’
“When it comes to the Canadian matter, we have made clear that the allegations are extremely seriously – serious, and they need to be taken seriously, and we wanted to see the Government of India cooperate with Canada in its investigation. Obviously, they have not chosen that path,” said US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller at the Department’s press briefing on October 15.
When specifically asked by reporters that if he is talking about the allegations levelled by the Canadian side, Miller answered in the affirmative.
Miller declined to comment when asked about his response on the way India has reacted over the issue.
“I don’t have any comment on that. But as we’ve said before, they’re serious allegations and we have wanted to see India take them seriously and cooperate with Canada’s investigation. They have chosen an alternate path,” said the US State Department spokesperson.
Earlier, India had told the US that it has arrested a suspect dubbed ‘CC1’, who a US Department of Justice (DOJ) indictment had implicated as the one who directed a foiled assassination plot against American national Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
‘India taking allegations about foiled plot to assassinate a US citizen seriously’
The US State Department had also said in a press release that an Indian Enquiry Committee established to investigate activities of certain organised criminals is actively investigating the individual who was identified last year in the Department of Justice’s indictment as an Indian government employee who directed a foiled plot to assassinate a US citizen in New York City.
The US State Department had said that the enquiry Committee will be traveling to Washington, D.C. on October 15th, as part of their ongoing investigations to discuss the case, including information they have obtained, and to receive an update from U.S. authorities regarding the U.S. case that is proceeding.
During the press briefing on October 15, US State Department Spokesperson Miller said that The Indian side has told the US that it is taking the allegations seriously.
“So I don’t have a readout on the meeting yet. The meeting was here as a follow-up on conversations we have been having with the Government of India at the senior-most levels over the past several months. They have told us that they are taking the allegations seriously, that the activities contained in the DOJ indictment do not represent government policy,” said Miller.
“So the meeting that happened this week or that is happening today by India’s inquiry was to discuss their active investigation into the matter, for us to update them on our active investigation into the matter, and to continue to share sides about steps that could happen in the days and weeks to come,” he added.
Earlier, Canadian officials had told the Indian government that “conversations and texts among Indian diplomats” ordered out of the country “include references” to Union home minister Amit Shah and a senior official in the Research and Analysis Wing in India “who have authorised… intelligence-gathering missions and attacks on Sikh separatists,” in Canada, the Washington Post had reported.