Khalistan supporters chant and wave flags during the Vaisakhi Parade in Surrey, B.C, in April.Ethan Cairns/The Globe and Mail
The British government weighed in on the diplomatic row between Canada and India, saying “the right next step” for New Delhi is to co-operate with Canada in its investigation of allegations that Indian government agents are connected to violent crimes in Canada.
The statement came a day after the U.S. urged India to take the allegations seriously and the House of Commons public-safety committee announced it will launch an emergency study of the matter.
The House of Commons public-safety committee will launch an emergency study of police allegations that Indian government agents are connected to violent crimes in Canada.
Members of Parliament on the committee unanimously agreed to the study after New Democrats called for it on Tuesday morning. The meeting was agreed to by all parties, according to a letter posted on social media late Tuesday night by B.C. NDP MP Alistair MacGregor.
The British government said in Wednesday’s statement that “we are in contact with our Canadian partners about the serious developments outlined in the independent investigations in Canada. The UK has full confidence in Canada’s judicial system.
“The Government of India’s cooperation with Canada’s legal process is the right next step.”
On Tuesday, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said it hoped that India would co-operate with Canadian authorities on the “extremely serious allegations,” but added: “Obviously, they have not chosen that path.”
Britain and the United States are members with Canada in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, which also includes New Zealand and Australia. Unlike Britain and the U.S., neither New Zealand nor Australia made direct appeals in their public statements for India to take a different course.
A statement from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade sent to The Globe on Wednesday said the country is concerned about the allegations under investigation in Canada. “Our position of principle is that the sovereignty of all countries should be respected and that the rule of law should be respected,” the statement said.
New Zealand said in a statement Wednesday that the “alleged criminal conduct outlined publicly by Canadian law enforcement authorities, if proven, would be very concerning.”
The RCMP and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held separate news conferences on Monday at which they alleged that Indian diplomats and consular officials are tied to organized crime in Canada and violent incidents targeting the South Asian community including killings, extortions, harassment, threats and coercion.
The RCMP also said police had identified more than a dozen credible and imminent threats on the lives of people in Canada who are tied to the pro-Khalistan movement, which has the goal of carving out a separate Sikh state from Indian territory.
As police released the information with no specific evidence and before charges were laid, they said they chose to make the rare decision because of the threat to public safety, which they said was increasing.
“This is very alarming,” says the public-safety committee’s letter signed by the Liberals, Conservatives, the Bloc Québécois and the NDP. Given the allegations, the MPs said they are “requesting that the committee urgently convene to discuss these revelations and steps that could be taken by the government to protect Canadians and our country.”
In an interview, the NDP’s Mr. MacGregor said he hopes the committee can hold a series of hearings on the matter, and that look at whether Bill C-70, the new law passed in the spring to help counter foreign interference, is giving police the tools they need to combat the problem.
He said the hearings will allow the “legislative committee to hold the executive to account, to find out what’s going on and to see what additional steps can be taken.”
Mr. MacGregor said he hopes to hear from the RCMP, the Public Safety Minister and expert witnesses who also testified on C-70.
Committee clerk Simon Larouche told The Globe on Wednesday that the meeting is expected to take place on Friday, but has not yet been confirmed.
With a report by Reuters