Did Jaishankar hold secret meet with Canadian counterpart? What India said

At a press conference, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi was asked if the news reports of Jaishankar meeting his Canadian counterpart were true. Here's what he said.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday said Indian officials have been in touch with Canadians at various levels. However, he said he didn't have information about External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar holding a meeting with Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly recently.

At a press conference, Arindam Bagchi was asked if the news reports of Jaishankar meeting his Canadian counterpart were true. He said, "We have been in touch with Canadians at various levels. Regarding any specific interaction, I don't have any particular information to share."

Diplomatic relations between India and Canada deteriorated recently after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on September 19, alleged a "potential" involvement of Indian agents" in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Nijjar was a Canadian citizen and was shot dead by two masked gunmen on June 18 in British Columbia.

Apart from this, the MEA spokesperson also spoke about Trudeau raising the issue of "respecting the rule of law and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations" with other countries.

"Don't know how it helps address the core issue," Bagchi said.

He added that the core issue was the space given by Canada to terrorist and criminal elements.

Bagchi further said, "We would urge Canada to take seriously their international obligations to provide security for our diplomats and their premises. Everything India is doing is in compliance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations."

After Canada claimed the involvement of "Indian agents" in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, India dismissed the allegations. It called the charges "absurd' and "motivated." In a tit-for-tat response to Canada's expulsion of an Indian official, New Delhi had also expelled a senior Canadian diplomat.