‘Diplomatic row with Canada will not impact military engagement’

The latest diplomatic row between India and Canada will not impact bilateral military engagement and the Canadian Army will take part in the conclave of the Indo-Pacific army chiefs in Delhi next week, a senior Indian Army official said on Wednesday.

The Indian Army is hosting the conclave on September 26 and 27 with an aim to evolve a common strategy to ensure peace, prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific against the backdrop of growing global concerns over China’s increasing military muscle-flexing in the region. The diplomatic ties between India and Canada came under further strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations of a “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June.

India on Tuesday 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.

“It doesn’t impact us. The Canadian Army (vice) Chief is coming in here, his delegation is coming here,” said Major General Abhinaya Rai, the Additional Director General of Strategic Planning at the Army headquarters.

“Like when we look at our relationship with some of our neighbours...where we may have had a standoff but we continue to engage them at all levels, be it the military level and at the diplomatic level. And I am referring directly to China here,” he said.