Canada is seeking private discussions with India to resolve a diplomatic crisis, as India has reportedly asked for the withdrawal of 41 Canadian diplomats.

After India reportedly asked Canada to withdraw its 41 diplomats from India, Canada’s Foreign Minister, Melanie Joly, stated that the country seeks private talks with New Delhi to resolve the diplomatic crisis.

“We are in contact with the government of India. We take Canadian diplomats’ safety very seriously and we will continue to engage privately because we think diplomatic conversations are best when they remain private,” the Canadian minister said.

On Tuesday, India reportedly asked Canada to withdraw approximately 40 diplomats by October 10. As per reports, the government has also threatened to strip the diplomatic immunity of any Canadian diplomat who remains in the country after the deadline.

According to a Financial Times report, India has requested Canada to reduce its diplomatic presence in India from 62 to 41 diplomats. However, as of now, neither India nor Canada has officially responded to the report.

In another development on Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that his country is not looking to escalate the situation with India. Canada will continue to “engage responsibly and constructively with New Delhi”. Trudeau said his government “want(s) to be on the ground in India to help Canadian families”.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries deteriorated recently after Trudeau alleged the “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen who was shot dead by two masked gunmen on June 18 in British Columbia.

However, India responded firmly, dismissing the allegations as ‘absurd’ and ‘motivated.’ In a tit-for-tat response to Canada’s expulsion of an Indian official connected to the case, the Indian government also expelled a senior Canadian diplomat.