Canada seeks “private talks” with India to address diplomatic dispute: Melanie Joly, the Foreign Minister

According to Reuters, Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on Tuesday that her nation wants "private talks with India to resolve a diplomatic dispute" about the death of terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a supporter of Khalistan.

"We have communication with the Indian administration. According to Reuters, Joly told reporters, "We take the safety of Canadian diplomats very seriously and we will continue to engage in private because we believe diplomatic conversations are best when they remain private." Joly made her comments in response to a story claiming that India had requested that Canada remove its 41 ambassadors.

Canada has been informed by India that the diplomats must return home by October 10. When asked whether the claim was true, Joly and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not reply, according to Reuters.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's claims about the Indian government's "possible role" in the murder of Khalistan militant Hardeep Singh Nijjar have strained ties between India and Canada.

On June 18, a Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, was fired down in a parking lot. Nijjar was a proscribed terrorist in India.

During a discussion in the Canadian Parliament, Trudeau said that national security agencies in his country had cause to suspect that the Canadian citizen, who was also the president of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, was killed by "agents of the Indian government."

India, meanwhile, has categorically denied the allegations, referring to them as "absurd" and "motivated." Notably, Canada has not yet made available any proof to the public about the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Regarding the accusations, the nation has said that it want to "work constructively with India."

According to Reuters, Trudeau said on Tuesday that Canada was not "looking to escalate the situation with India" and that Ottawa wanted to stay in New Delhi to support its citizens.

"Canada will continue to interact responsibly and constructively with New Delhi; we have no intention of exacerbating the situation with India." According to Reuters, Trudeau said, "We want to be on the ground in India to help the Canadian families there."

According to the Canada-based National Post, Trudeau said last week that despite "credible allegations of the Indian government's involvement" in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Canada is still dedicated to forging better relations with India. India has dismissed the allegations as "motivated" and "absurd."

Referring to India's growing global importance, Trudeau said that it is "extremely important" for Canada and its allies to keep up their relations with India.

India is a significant geopolitical actor and a rising economic force. And we're extremely serious about forging stronger connections with India, as we demonstrated with our Indo-Pacific policy just last year," he had informed reporters.

According to the National Post, Trudeau said, "At the same time, obviously, as a rule of law country, we need to emphasize that India needs to work with Canada to ensure that we get the full facts of this matter."