The Group of 20 Summit, hosted by India earlier this month, couldn害羞草研究所檛 have gone better for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His pledge to make the African Union a permanent member became reality. And under his leadership, the fractured grouping . It was seen as a foreign policy triumph for Modi and set the tone for India as a great emerging power.

Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was expected to seize on India害羞草研究所檚 geopolitical high in his speech at the United Nations on Tuesday. But circumstances have changed 害羞草研究所� quite abruptly 害羞草研究所� and India comes to the General Assembly podium with a diplomatic mess on its hands.

On Monday, Canadian leader Justin Trudeau made a : India may have been involved in the killing of a Sikh Canadian citizen in a Vancouver suburb in June.

Trudeau said there were 害羞草研究所渃redible allegations害羞草研究所� of links to New Delhi, as absurd. It has been a free fall since: Each expelled a diplomat, , and Ottawa said it may reduce consulate staff over safety concerns. Ties between the two once-close countries have .

害羞草研究所淚n the immediate term, this will bring New Delhi back down to Earth. It has a crisis that it needs to work through, quickly but carefully,害羞草研究所� said Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Center害羞草研究所檚 South Asia Institute.

TENSIONS WERE ALREADY SIMMERING

On the last day of the G20 summit, Trudeau posed and smiled with Modi as world leaders paid respects at Mahatma Gandhi害羞草研究所檚 memorial. Behind the scenes though, tensions were high.

Trudeau skipped an official dinner hosted by the Indian president, and local media reported he was snubbed by Modi when he got a quick 害羞草研究所減ull aside害羞草研究所� instead of a bilateral meeting. To make things worse, a flight snag saw him stranded in New Delhi for 36 hours. Finally back in Canada, Trudeau said he had raised the allegations with Modi at the G20.

As India heads to the United Nations, the allegations have 害羞草研究所渢hrown cold water on India害羞草研究所檚 G20 achievements,害羞草研究所� said Happymon Jacob, founder of the New Delhi-based Council for Strategic and Defense Research.

India has long sought greater recognition at the United Nations. For decades, it has eyed a permanent seat at the Security Council, one of the world害羞草研究所檚 most prestigious high tables. But it has also been critical of the global forum, partly because it wants more representation that害羞草研究所檚 in line with its rising soft power.

害羞草研究所淭he U.N. Security Council, which is the core of the United Nations system, is a family photo of the victors of the Second World War plus China,害羞草研究所� Jacob said. India believes 害羞草研究所渋t simply does not reflect the demographic, economic and geopolitical realities of today,害羞草研究所� he added. Others in the elite group include France, Russia, Britain and the United States.

In April, Jaishankar said India, the world害羞草研究所檚 most populous country with the fastest growing economy among major nations, couldn害羞草研究所檛 be ignored for too long. The U.N. Security Council, he said, 害羞草研究所渨ill be compelled to provide permanent membership.害羞草研究所�

The United States, Britain and have voiced support for its permanent membership over the years. But U.N. bureaucracy has stopped the council from expanding. And even if that changes, China 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� would likely block a request.

INSTEAD OF THE UN, INDIA MAKES SOME END RUNS

Kept out of the U.N.害羞草研究所檚 most important body, Modi has made sure that his country is smack at the center of a tangled web of global politics. On one hand, New Delhi is part of the Quad and the G20, seen as mostly Western groups. On the other, it wants to expand its influence in the BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, where Russia and China dominate.

The deft juggling of the West and the rest has come to define India害羞草研究所檚 multipolar foreign policy.

Its diplomatic sway has only grown over its reluctance to condemn Russia for its war in Ukraine, a stance that resonated among many developing countries that have also been neutral. And the West, which sees an ascendant India as crucial to countering China, has . By doing so, of democratic backsliding under his government.

In the immediate aftermath, 害羞草研究所� including its biggest one, the United States 害羞草研究所� was tepid. But as the row deepens, the question likely worrying Indian officials is this: Will the recent international fiasco jeopardize its surging ties with the West?

After an initial muted response, the White House has intensified its concerns. 害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 not some special exemption you get for actions like this, regardless of the country,害羞草研究所� security adviser Jake Sullivan said. On Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. was deeply concerned about the allegations and that 害羞草研究所渋t would be important that India work with the Canadians on this investigation.害羞草研究所�

While there害羞草研究所檚 been no public evidence, a that the allegation of India害羞草研究所檚 involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist, is based on surveillance of Indian diplomats in Canada 害羞草研究所� including intelligence provided by a major ally. On Friday, , saying information shared by the intelligence-sharing 害羞草研究所楩ive Eyes害羞草研究所� alliance helped link India to the assassination.

At the United Nations, where he held a news conference and meetings but will not be speaking for his nation on Tuesday, Trudeau told reporters that he doesn害羞草研究所檛 want to cause problems but said his decision was not made lightly. Canada, he said, had to stand up for the rule of law and protect its citizens.

For New Delhi, the U.N. meeting may present a possible opportunity. Indian and Canadian diplomats could meet on the sidelines to try to lower temperatures with a potential assist from Washington, Kugelman said. Canada害羞草研究所檚 delegation chair, Robert Rae, is delivering the country害羞草研究所檚 remarks 10 spots after India.

Jaishankar could also hold face-to-face meetings with other key partners to minimize the damage. Since arriving, he害羞草研究所檚 held chats with ministers from Australia, Japan and Britain.

害羞草研究所淟et害羞草研究所檚 be clear: We害羞草研究所檙e not going to see foreign leaders avoid or isolate Jaishankar at the U.N. General Assembly,害羞草研究所� Kugelman said.

But it could also lead to more fireworks if they bring the spat to the U.N. podium and the global audience of leaders it tends to command. Ultimately, though, India 害羞草研究所渄oesn害羞草研究所檛 want the Canada row to be a sideshow here, and especially not one that moves to the center stage,害羞草研究所� Kugelman said. 害羞草研究所淭hat would take attention away from the achievements it hopes to publicize on one of the world害羞草研究所檚 biggest global platforms.害羞草研究所�