Canada wants ‘private talks with India’: Foreign Minister Melanie Joly as Nijjar Singh row escalates

Canadian foreign minister Melanie Joly has said that Ottawa wants “private talks” with India to ease diplomatic tensions that arose after “Indian government agents” were held responsible for the killing of Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjer.

Talking to the media after reports emerged that India asked Canada to withdraw 41 diplomats, Melanie on Wednesday (Oct 3) said that they are in "close contact" with the New Delhi administration.

“We are in contact with the government of India. We take Canadian diplomats' safety very seriously and we will continue to engage privately because we think diplomatic conversations are best when they remain private," Reuters quoted Joly as saying to reporters.

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“In moments of tensions — because indeed there are tensions between both our governments — more than ever it’s important that diplomats be on the ground and that’s why we believe in the importance of having a strong diplomatic footprint in India,” she said in Ottawa.

“That being said, we are in ongoing conversations with the Indian government and we will continue to protect Canada.”

India wants parity in envoy

The Financial Times earlier reported that India has asked Canada to repatriate 41 of its 62 envoys by October 10, and threatened to strip them of their diplomatic immunity if they fail to adhere to the order.

Canada has an embassy in Delhi and consulates in Bengaluru, Chandigarh and Mumbai.

The foreign minister’s comments came hours after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau clarified that it doesn’t wish to escalate the situation with India and will continue to engage "responsibly and constructively with New Delhi”.

No evidence provided yet

The Trudeau administration has been under fire not only from the Indian government but also from the opposition parties who have been clamouring for the PM to provide evidence to suggest that India was involved in the murder of Nijjar.

Notably last week, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that Trudeau's allegation "was not consistent with our policy".

"If his government had anything relevant and specific they would like us to look into, we were open to looking at it. That's where that conversation is at this point of time."

Jaishankar further said that Trudeauhas been giving space to Khalistan elements because of the “compulsions of Canadian politics"—a reference to sizeable Sikh voters in Canada.

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