Ottawa: Amid the ongoing diplomatic rift between Indian and Canada, Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair has urged the two countires to start talking to find a common ground in view of the recent strain in relationsd.
“I really want [the two countries I love] to start talking. I know once they start talking, once they really want to help their citizens, I’m pretty sure they’ll find common ground to make friends,” Blair said in an interview on Rosemary Barton Liveon CBC News which aired on Sunday.
Blair said he is aware of the impact the diplomatic dispute was having on Indian-Canadians.
This comes as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week alleged India’s involvement in the fatal shooting of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.
Najjar, who was a designated Terrorist in India, was gunned down outside a Gurdwara, in a parking area in Canada’s Surrey, British Columbia on June 18.
Canada has called on India to co-operate with the investigation into Nijjar’s death.
Trudeau on Friday said that Ottawa wants to “work constructively with India” regarding the alleged involvement of New Delhi in the killing of Nijjar, designated as a terrorist by India.
The Canadian Defence Minister said: “It’s another reason why I place such emphasis on the investigation that’s taking place, that we’d be able to move beyond credible intelligence to evidence, strong evidence of exactly what happened, so that we and the Indian government can know the truth, have the facts and then work together to resolve it in an appropriate way.”
“I’m not going to say anything that would in any way compromise the integrity of that investigation, it’s just too important,” he said, as per CBC News. Allies also urge cooperation with investigation, he said.
India has meanwhile denied “any attempts to connect the government of India” with Nijjar’s murder. The MEA also referred to Canada as having a “growing reputation” as a “safe haven for terrorists, for extremists and organized crime.”
“The only request we’ve made of our allies and India is that they co-operate fully in that investigation because its outcome is very important,” Blair told CBC chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton.
As per CBC News, Blair skirted a question about what intelligence Canada had received from allies to help reach the point where they made the decision to speak publicly on the issue.
(With agency inputs)