US official says PM Trudeau's allegations 'very serious', encourages India to cooperate
New York (PTI): Terming Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations about India's involvement in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader as "very serious", a top US official has said that Washington supports Ottawa's efforts to investigate the matter and encourages New Delhi to cooperate.
"I'm going to protect diplomatic conversations and I'll leave it at that. Certainly the President is mindful of these serious allegations, and they are very serious. And we support Canada's efforts to investigate this," US National Security Council (NSC) Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said.
"We believe a fully transparent comprehensive investigation is the right approach so that we can all know exactly what happened and of course, we encourage India to cooperate with that," Kirby said in an interview to CNN.
Kirby was responding to a question on Trudeau's allegations about the involvement of "agents of the Indian government" in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF).
Nijjar was one of India's most-wanted terrorists who carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head and was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen outside a gurdwara in Surrey in the western Canadian province of British Columbia on June 18.
Kirby was asked about Trudeau raising the matter with President Joe Biden privately before going public and what information the Canadian leader shared with the US President about the matter.
"I'm going to be careful about what I say here to preserve the sanctity of this investigation and leave it for Canada to talk about the underpinning information, what more they're trying to learn. We want to respect that process and it's their investigation," Kirby added.
When further asked about what repercussions there will be due to the allegations, Kirby said, "let's not get ahead of where we are. There's an active investigation. We think it needs to be fully transparent, comprehensive. We know that Canadians will work to that end".
"Again, we urge India to cooperate with that investigation so that the facts can take investigators where they go and then once we have all that facts, and we have conclusions that we can draw from that, then you can start to look at recommendations or behaviours you might want to pursue."
In an interview to CBS News, Kirby said that "these allegations are serious and we know that the Canadians are investigating it. We certainly don't want to get ahead of that investigation".
"We urge India to cooperate in that investigation as well. This is the kind of an attack here that obviously we all want to know is handled in a transparent, thorough way. And that the Canadian people can get answers to this. So we're going stay in touch with our partners, both countries, and again we want to see the investigation be able to proceed unhindered and let the facts take it where it may," Kirby added.
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Karnataka readies for deficit monsoon; CM Siddaramaiah orders water supply measures
Bengaluru (PTI): Warning of a likely deficit monsoon across the state, barring five districts, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday instructed deputy commissioners to take precautionary measures to prevent disruption to the drinking water supply.
The CM chaired a meeting with district-in-charge ministers, deputy commissioners, and Zilla Panchayat chief executive officers to review drinking water supply in rural and urban areas during the peak of summer.
"The meteorological department has predicted below-normal monsoon rainfall this year. There is a possibility of normal rainfall in August, while less rainfall is expected in September," Siddaramaiah was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his office.
"If there is any disruption in the drinking water supply, the respective Deputy Commissioners will be held responsible," he said, directing the Revenue, Panchayat Raj and Urban Development departments to coordinate closely.
Stating that most districts in the north interior region are likely to experience more hot days than usual between April and June, the CM asked deputy commissioners to take appropriate precautionary measures.
He said forecasts by the meteorological department should be taken seriously.
Public shade and drinking water facilities should be provided, he said, adding that there is no shortage of funds to ensure water supply.
He also said the Finance Department has been instructed to release funds based on reports from deputy commissioners.
A total of 213 taluks and 2,410 gram panchayats have been identified as potentially facing drinking water shortages during summer. At present, 598 gram panchayats across 114 taluks are facing shortages.
Drinking water is being supplied to 137 villages through 129 tankers. As many as 585 private borewells have been rented to supply water to 515 villages.
The CM said shortages are likely in several districts, including Kalaburagi (147 gram panchayats), Bagalkot (114), Belagavi (127), Chikkamagaluru (115), Haveri (138), Mandya (130), Tumakuru (141) and Uttara Kannada (125).
At present, 27 urban local bodies are facing water shortages, while 95 have been identified as vulnerable. A total of 145 wards are being supplied water through 57 tankers, and 22 borewells have been taken on rent.
Tankers should be used only in emergencies, with priority given to renting private borewells, he said, adding that borewells can be drilled if necessary.
Highlighting that 321.93 TMC of water is currently available in the state’s 14 major reservoirs—36 per cent of total capacity—Siddaramaiah said this compares with 330.35 TMC during the same period last year. "Sufficient water is available in reservoirs for drinking purposes at present," he said.
With the monsoon likely to be delayed, he directed officials to ensure adequate drinking water availability in reservoirs till mid-July.
Drinking water supply should be prioritised over irrigation, he said, directing officials to identify and repair leakages in reservoirs.
Public grievances related to drinking water should be addressed promptly, with control rooms set up at the taluk and ward levels. District-level task forces should function actively, he added.
Cautioning about possible disruption in fertiliser supply due to the situation in the Middle East, the CM directed officials to prevent hoarding and ensure timely availability to farmers.
"Ensure proper distribution of urea and DAP and prevent their diversion to other states," he said, adding that inspections at check posts should be intensified.
He noted that due to good rainfall over the past two years, there is no immediate shortage of fodder, but availability should continue to be monitored. The CM directed that task force meetings on drinking water be held in all taluks and reports be submitted.
He also stressed the need to prevent the supply of contaminated water, saying deputy commissioners are responsible for ensuring safe drinking water and preventing related health issues.
Officials were asked to continuously monitor fertiliser sales to ensure an adequate supply for eligible farmers.
"Some districts, including Haveri, have recorded higher fertiliser sales than last year. What is the reason?" he asked, calling for close monitoring to prevent shortages.
