Ottawa Wants Private Talks With India To Resolve The Diplomatic Row Over Nijjar's Killing (Image:Twitter/melaniejoly)
Shortly after India demanded the withdrawal of 41 Canadian diplomats from the country by October 10, Canada expressed their willingness to have a private discussion with India to resolve the ongoing India-Canada bureaucratic tension.
The desire was expressed by the Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on Tuesday stating that the country has a serious approach towards the safety of their diplomats who are currently residing in India. According to the minister, diplomatic talks are the best when they are done and remains in the private, reported the news agency Reuters.
Ms Joly while addressing the media said that the Canadian government is “taking the issues extremely serious, but… are going to continue to engage responsibly and constructively within with the government of India”.
On October 3 Tuesday, India reportedly demanded Ottawa to withdraw 41 Canadian diplomats from the country by October 10, said the Financial Times. India also warned Canada that if any of the mentioned diplomats continue to stay in the country after the allotted date, their diplomatic immunity will be revoked. Canada has 62 diplomats in New Delhi, a large number comparing to what India has in Canada.
It was recently the Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fuelled a bureaucratic tension between the country and India over the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Mr Trudeau while addressing the parliament alleged that the murder is an extraterritorial assassination operated by the Indian government. He also initiated an investigation on the matter with the help of Canadian Intelligence agencies. Melanie Joly supported the PM and issued an official statement then. India has earlier dismissed the allegations as “absurd” and “motivated”.
The row got more worsened as both of the country expelled its senior diplomats. India also suspended visa services in Canada citing ‘operational reasons’, and issued an advisory for its citizens and those who are travelling to Canada to exercise “utmost caution in view of growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence” in the country.
The National Investigative Agency (NIA) issued three separate requests demanding information from the public to identify ten wanted Khalistani extremists accused in San Francisco Indian Consulate attack case.
Indian Foreign minister S Jaishankar also expressed that India is willing to look into the matter if Canada provides specific or relevant information and evidences to substantiate their allegation. “I have said that if somebody gives us specific or relevant information, we’re prepared to look at it”, the minister said. It is “not the Indian government’s policy” to engage in such activities, he added.
