US rejects report claiming ties with India 'could get worse' due to spat with Canada

New Delhi: Stating that ambassador Eric Garcetti is working hard every day to deepen the partnership between India and the US, the American embassy on Thursday denied reports of the envoy saying that bilateral ties will be hit due to New Delhi's diplomatic row with Canada.

The clarification came after a 'Politico' report, which said Garcetti told his in-country team that relations between India and the US "could get worse for a time", because of India's diplomatic spat with Canada.

"Ambassador Garcetti is working hard every day to deepen the partnership between the people and governments of the US and India," a statement by the US embassy said.

"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 statement added.

Quoting an unnamed State Department official, the Politico report also claimed that Garcetti told his team that "the US may need to reduce its contacts with Indian officials for an undefined period of time".

The report coincided with India asking Canada to reduce the number of its diplomats posted in India amid a diplomatic row between the two nations over the killing of Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was declared designated terrorist by India in 2020.

In response, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau said he did not want escalation with India on the matter and foreign minister Melanie Joly said that the country wants "private talks with India to resolve a diplomatic dispute".

Meanwhile, attending the plenary session of ‘Swavlamban 2.0’, a two-day seminar of Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) on Wednesday, Garcetti said that the “great minds” back in his homeland and India can find more paths to peace.

“I’m so proud to see the United States of America and India working together for a more peaceful world... Great minds in India and the great minds in the United States can work to find more paths to peace,” he said.