India Canada issue latest: Delhi suspends visas for Canadian citizens as Sikh murder row escalates
Canada India conflict: what happened
India has indefinitely suspended visa services for Canadian citizens – citing “operational issues” – amid an escalating diplomatic row over the slaying of a Sikh separatist leader.
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said there were “credible allegations” of the Indian state’s involvement in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian national and prayer leader, in British Columbia.
Canada also ejected an Indian diplomat who it identified as heading the intelligence wing of the Indian High Commission in Ottawa.
India has rejected the allegations as “absurd” and responded by ordering a similarly high-ranking Canadian diplomat in Delhi to leave the country within five days.
India on Wednesday issued a travel warning for its citizens in Canada, urging Indians to exercise caution due to “growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes”.
Relations between the two countries have been strained for months over the issue of the Khalistan movement, whose members call for a separate Sikh nation to be carved out of India’s Punjab state. The row has seen trade talks break down and a frosty exchange between Mr Trudeau and India’s Narendra Modi at the G20.
Canada demands security for its diplomats in India
The Canadian High Commission in India said it is temporarily adjusting its staffing presence in India after some diplomats received online threats.
It said that the high commission and all consulates in India nonetheless remain open and operational.
“In light of the current environment where tensions have heightened, we are taking action to ensure the safety of our diplomats,” it said.
“With some diplomats having received threats on various social media platforms, Global Affairs Canada is assessing its staff complement in India.”
It urged India to provide security to the staff in accordance with the guidelines of the Vienna convention.
“In the context of respect for obligations under the Vienna conventions, we expect India to provide for the security of our accredited diplomats and consular officers in India, just as we are for theirs here.”
(EPA)
Shweta Sharma21 September 2023 09:22
India suspends visa services for Canadians
India has suspended visa services for Canadian nations, a company outsourced by the Indian government for visa processing services said in an update.
The notification which ran as a ticker on the website briefly disappeared before appearing again.
The announcement was billed as an “important notice from the Indian mission” and said that all visa services in Canada “have been suspended till further notice” with immediate effect, citing “operational reasons”.
It was issued by BLS International Services Limited, a company that provides outsourced visa processing services in Canada for the Indian government.
The Indian government has yet to comment.
Shweta Sharma21 September 2023 09:09
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the diplomatic row between India and Canada, which today appears to have led to the suspension of Indian visa services for Canadian nationals.
Shweta Sharma21 September 2023 09:04
