India has put a halt to visa services in Canada, attributing the decision to ‘operational reasons’. This development occurred in the midst of escalating tensions between India and Canada following the assassination of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The visa application platform BLS announced, “Owing to operational circumstances, Indian visa services will be on hold from 21 September 2023 until further notice.”
The strain between the two nations intensified after a contentious discussion regarding the Khalistani issue during the G20 summit in Delhi earlier this month. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated on Monday that his administration was looking into “credible allegations” that agents of the Indian government were involved in the June 18 murder, where Nijjar was fatally shot outside a Sikh cultural center in Surrey, British Columbia.
India has categorically denied any involvement in the incident, dismissing the allegations as baseless. The relations between India and Canada have further soured, with both countries adopting retaliatory measures.
The Indian government has recently issued a warning to its citizens residing in Canada, particularly students, due to an increase in anti-India activities and hate crimes. This advisory comes in the wake of accusations from Ottawa suggesting that New Delhi could be involved in the assassination of a Sikh separatist activist in Canada.