NEW DELHI — Indian and Canadian officers have been involved “at various levels” following a confrontation over Canadian accusations that India could have been concerned within the killing of a Sikh separatist chief in suburban Vancouver, an official in New Delhi stated Thursday.

The spokesman for India’s External Affairs Ministry, Arindam Bagchi, declined, nevertheless, to verify or deny media experiences that the Indian and Canadian international ministers met in Washington two weeks in the past.

“We have been in touch with the Canadians at various levels. Regarding this specific interaction, I don’t have any particular information to share,” Bagchi informed reporters in New Delhi.

He reiterated that India stays decided to scale back Canada’s diplomatic presence within the nation. A Canadian official stated not too long ago that India has informed Canada to take away 41 of its 62 diplomats within the nation.

“We remain engaged with Canadian authorities on modalities of achieving that,” he stated. Bagchi did not present particulars of the dialog between the 2 nations or point out any deadline for fulfilling the Indian demand.

Amid the diplomatic tensions, Canada determined to not ship Senate Speaker Raymonde Gagné to a G20 parliament audio system’ summit that India is internet hosting this weekend.

“We invite all members to G20 events. Participation is their decision and subject to a number of factors. I would request you to ask the Canadian side about it,” Bagchi stated.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated final month that there have been “credible allegations” of Indian involvement within the slaying of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a 45-year-old Sikh chief who was killed by masked gunmen in June in Surrey, exterior Vancouver.

Responding to a query about Trudeau elevating the allegations and the dispute with India with different world leaders, Bagchi stated “I really don’t know how this helps address the core issue: that is, the space given by Canada to terrorists and criminal elements.”

For years, India has accused Canada of giving free rein to Sikh separatists preventing for the creation of “Khalistan,” a separate Sikh nation in India’s northern Punjab state.

“We would urge Canada to take more seriously their international obligations to provide security to our diplomats and their premises,” he stated. He was referring to threats issued by Canada-based Sikh separatist leaders to Indian diplomats posted within the North American nation after the killing of the Sikh chief.

India canceled visas for Canadians after Trudeau made the accusation of Indian involvement in Nijjar’s killing. Canada didn’t comply with swimsuit however expelled a senior Indian diplomat, after which India expelled a senior Canadian diplomat.