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New Delhi: India on Thursday September 21, 2023 stopped issuing visas to Canadian citizens, a move seen as further deterioration in ties between the two countries though no official announcement has been made.
No official announcement of the suspension of the visa services has been made that comes two days after India and Canada expelled each other’s diplomats.
“Important notice from Indian Mission: Due to operational reasons, with effect from 21 September 2023, Indian visa services have been suspended till further notice”, a notice by BLS International posted on its website said.
“Please keep checking BLS website for further updates”, the online visa application centre in India that provides visa consultancy services in Canada, said citing the Indian Mission.
Tense relation between the two countries worsened further on Monday after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau linked India with the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India had designated Nijjar a terrorist.
India rejected the allegations as “absurd” and “motivated”.
Amidst the heightened tension between the two countries, Justin Trudeau said Canada was not trying to provoke India by suggesting its agents were linked to the murder of the Sikh activist but Ottawa wants New Delhi to address the issue properly.
"The government of India needs to take this matter with the utmost seriousness. We are doing that, we are not looking to provoke or escalate," he told reporters on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Sukhdool Singh, also known as Sukha Duneke who according to the reports was part of the Khalistan movement in Canada, was killed last night in Canada in inter-gang violence.
Duneke was a "Category A" gangster from Punjab's Moga who reportedly fled to Canada on a fake passport in 2017 and was on the most wanted list in India. Indian agency NIA had recently issued warrants against him.
Sukhdool Singh got killed a day after the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in an advisory aimed at Indian nationals and students in Canada and citizens planning to travel to the country, advised them to exercise “utmost caution” due to growing anti-India activities and hate crimes.
The MEA Advisory also warned that there were threats against members of the Indian community who “oppose the anti-India agenda”.
Canada had rejected these "apprehensions".
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