Mumbai: India has suspended visa services for Canadian nationals indefinitely amid heightened tensions between the two countries over Canadian PM Justin Trudeau’s allegations that India was behind killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. An Indian official confirmed the suspension.
This week, top ambassadors were expelled on a tit-for-tat basis after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that India had killed Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar at their behest.
Even though BLS International, which manages the visa application facilities in Canada, put a notice about the suspension of visa services on its Canadian website, no official notification of the suspension was made.
“Important notice from the Indian Mission: Due to operational reasons, with effect from 21st September 2023 [Thursday], Indian visa services have been suspended till further notice.”
An Indian official acknowledged the suspension but would not further. “The language is clear and says what it is intended to say.”
Since the Covid-19 epidemic, India has never banned visas before. The high commission in New Delhi and the consulates in Mumbai, Chandigarh, and Bengaluru are among the locations where Canada has attempted to increase security.
In addition to citing the Vienna Convention as a legal framework for protecting diplomats and diplomatic facilities, the spokesman stated that they “expect India to provide for the security of our accredited diplomats and consular officers in India, just as we are for theirs here.”
Senior diplomats’ security has been boosted at India’s missions in Canada as well after SFJ distributed the “Kill India” posters in July and a string of further posters that claimed New Delhi was responsible for the murder of Nijjar on June 18.
India requested more protection at the consulates in Toronto and Vancouver as well as the high commission in Ottawa after the SFJ threatened to “shut down Indian missions” on September 25 by labelling them “terror houses.”
SFJ, which was banned in India in 2019 because of its pro-Khalistan activities, has threatened Hindus of Indian origin and asked them to leave Canada “for supporting” the country of their origin and “promoting violence” by celebrating Nijjar’s assassination.
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