India-Canada row: New Delhi reaches out to its Western partners

As its diplomatic row with Canada escalates over the killing of a Khalistani separatist, India has apprised its key Western partners and friends about its concerns over increasing activities of anti-India elements from Canadian soil, sources said on Thursday, 21 September.

Separately, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said Canada has not provided to India any specific information on the case relating to the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

"No specific information has been shared (with us) by Canada in this case. We are willing to look at any specific information that is provided to us (in this case)," he said at a media briefing.

The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar in June on Canadian soil.

India on Tuesday, 19 September rejected the allegations as "absurd" and "motivated" and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official over the case.

"We have been engaged with our partners on various issues, including this one. We have been discussing it. We have conveyed our position on how we see this development," Bagchi said.

He was asked whether India has apprised its close partners about its diplomatic row with Canada.

It is learnt that New Delhi has reached out to Australia, the UK and the US among others and conveyed its concerns over increasing activities of anti-India elements in Canada.

The sources cited above also said that India has apprised its view to its key friends and partners about its overall position on the diplomatic row with Canada.

Asked about Canada's concerns over security of its missions in India in view of the rising diplomatic tensions, Bagchi said New Delhi takes its obligations very seriously.

"We will certainly provide all security to foreign diplomats in India. We also expect Canadian authorities to show similar sensitivity to our diplomats in Canada," he said.