'Report that Garcetti warned his team about India-Canada row is false': US Embassy in New Delhi

The US embassy denied allegations that American Ambassador Eric Garcetti warned his colleagues about the potential impact of New Delhi’s diplomatic spat with Ottawa on India-US relations on Thursday. According to the American news outlet The Politico, Garcetti has also stated that the US may need to curtail its connections with Indian officials for an unspecified length of time. “The US embassy rejects these reports.” When contacted about the claim, a US embassy official said, “Ambassador Garcetti works hard every day to deepen the partnership between the people and governments of the United States and India.” “As his personal engagement and public schedule demonstrates, Ambassador Garcetti and the US Mission to India are working every day to advance the important, strategic, and consequential partnership we have with India,” the spokesperson said. The ties between India and Canada came under severe 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 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. The Politico, quoting an unnamed official, said “Garcetti has told his in-country team that, because of the diplomatic spat with Canada, relations between India and the US could get worse for a time.” Garcetti also has said the US may need to reduce its contacts with Indian officials for an period of time, it reported. The White House said on Tuesday that Canada’s allegations regarding India’s involvement in the killing of the separatist are “serious” and need to be investigated fully.