“I think there is a beginning of an understanding that they can’t bluster their way through this and there is an openness to collaborating in a way that perhaps they were less open before,” Trudeau advised the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

He stated the US indictment seems to have satisfied the Indian authorities to undertake a extra sober tone. “There’s an understanding that maybe, maybe just churning out attacks against Canada isn’t going to make this problem go away.”

“We don’t want to be in a situation of having a fight with India right now over this,” he stated. “We want to be working on that trade deal. We want to be advancing the Indo-Pacific strategy. But it is foundational for Canada to stand up for people’s rights, for people’s safety, and for the rule of law. And that’s what we’re going to do.”

The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Trudeau’s allegations on September 18 of a “potential” involvement of Indian brokers within the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 in British Columbia. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.

India rejected Trudeau’s allegations as “absurd” and “motivated”. In November, the US federal prosecutors charged that one Nikhil Gupta was working with an Indian authorities worker within the foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist, who holds twin citizenship of the US and Canada. Though the separatist Sikh chief was not named, media studies recognized him as Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the chief of the Sikhs for Justice, an organisation banned in India.

India has already constituted a probe committee to research allegations. Last week, Trudeau stated that his resolution to make allegations in public was meant to “put a chill” on them from repeating the same motion.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar advised the Rajya Sabha earlier this month that Canada has not shared any particular proof or inputs with India.

Days after Trudeau’s allegations in September, India quickly suspended the issuance of visas to Canadian residents and requested Ottawa to downsize its diplomatic presence within the nation to make sure parity.

India resumed some visa providers in Canada final month, greater than a month after they had been suspended.