India’s High Commissioner to Canada Dinesh Patnaik has strongly rejected a report published by a Canadian daily, saying his remarks had been “taken out of context” and did not reflect India’s current assessment of Canadian institutions amid ongoing efforts by both countries to stabilise strained bilateral ties.“I am disappointed by the allegations made in the Globe and Mail article today,” Patnaik said, asserting that India had maintained “excellent cooperation” with Canadian law enforcement and security agencies, particularly over the past year.The controversy stems from an article that quoted Patnaik as allegedly suggesting that elements within Canada’s security establishment had been “compromised” by Khalistani groups and that some allegations against India were based on misinformation. The report also cited him as dismissing allegations linking Indian diplomats to covert operations in Canada.Responding to the publication, Patnaik said the report was based on an off-the-record interaction and relied on “selective quotations”.“We have strong faith in Canada’s institutions and completely reject these misleading allegations,” he said, pointing to recent visits by National Security Advisers and regular engagement between security agencies as evidence of improving cooperation between the two sides.The remarks come against the backdrop of efforts by India and Canada to repair relations that deteriorated sharply after Ottawa alleged Indian involvement in the 2023 killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia — charges New Delhi has always denied as “absurd” and politically motivated.Diplomatic ties between the two countries had plunged after reciprocal expulsions of diplomats and accusations of foreign interference. However, recent months have seen cautious attempts at a reset, including renewed trade engagement and high-level security contacts.Patnaik’s clarification also came as Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is in Canada with a large business delegation amid ongoing discussions on strengthening economic cooperation.