India has suspended visa services for Canadian citizens, escalating a diplomatic dispute between the two countries after Canada accused New Delhi of potentially being behind the murder of a Sikh separatist activist on its territory.
BLS International, which handles visa applications for India in Canada, sent a letter to Indian stock exchanges on Thursday (21) stating that visa services “have been suspended until further notice”.
“Due to operational reasons, with immediate effect i.e. September 21, 2023, Indian visa services in Canada have been suspended until further notice,” read the letter, sent to the Bombay Stock Exchange, National Stock Exchange of India and the Metropolitan Stock Exchange.
Earlier, BLS International stated on its website that India had suspended visa services for Canadian citizens from Thursday, citing a notice from the Indian mission.
The warning was briefly removed before reappearing without explanation.
The announcement followed a travel advisory from India on Wednesday asking its citizens to remain vigilant in Canada, warning them about “politically tolerated hate crimes.”
“Recently, threats have particularly targeted Indian diplomats and sections of the Indian community who oppose the anti-India agenda,” said a statement released by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
“Given the deteriorating security environment in Canada, Indian students, in particular, are advised to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant.”
The ministry added that Indian citizens and students should register with the Indian High Commission or Indian Consulates General in Toronto and Vancouver to “better connect with Indian citizens in Canada in case of any emergency or untoward incident”.
A CNN contacted the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and BLS International.
The travel warning comes days after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said authorities were investigating “credible allegations” of a potential link between “agents of the government of India” and the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh citizen. shot dead by masked men in June.
New Delhi has vehemently denied the allegations, calling them “absurd and motivated”.
India’s foreign ministry said Canada had not provided “any specific information” to support Delhi’s alleged involvement in Nijjar’s death.
“Allow me to also point out that, on our part, very specific evidence of criminal activity committed by individuals based on Canadian soil has been regularly shared with Canadian authorities but has not been acted upon,” said ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told reporters in New Delhi on Thursday.
But Trudeau’s statement triggered an upheaval in relations between the two countries, with India and Canada expelling senior diplomats in reciprocal moves.
Nijjar openly supported the creation of a separate Sikh homeland, known as Khalistan, which would include parts of the Indian state of Punjab.
The Khalistan movement is banned in India and considered a threat to national security by the government. Several groups associated with the movement are listed as “terrorist organisations” under India’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Nijjar’s name appears on the Home Ministry’s UAPA terrorist list, and in 2020 the Indian National Investigation Agency accused him of “attempting to radicalize the Sikh community across the world in favor of the creation of ‘Khalistan’”, adding that he had “attempted to incite Sikhs to vote for secession, agitate against the government of India and carry out violent activities”.
According to local police, he was shot dead in his truck in June by two masked killers outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia.
His death shocked and outraged the Sikh community in Canada, one of the largest outside India and home to more than 770,000 members of the religious minority.
Canadian police have not arrested anyone in connection with Nijjar’s murder.
But in an update in August, police released a statement saying they were investigating three suspects and released a description of a possible getaway vehicle, asking for the public’s help.
Source: CNN Brasil
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