Visa Services : In a startling escalation of tensions, the India-Canada visa dispute has taken a new and ominous turn, further straining diplomatic relations between the two nations. The controversy erupted after Canada launched an investigation into “credible allegations” linking India to the murder of a prominent Sikh separatist leader. India swiftly rejected the allegations, labeling them as “absurd.”
This latest twist in the ongoing rift between India and Canada comes at a time when relations have already been fraught for months, and analysts now suggest that they are at an all-time low.
The catalyst for this latest development was a cryptic message posted by visa service provider BLS on their website. The message, purportedly from India’s mission, cited “operational reasons” for the immediate suspension of Indian visa services, effective from September 21, 2023. India’s foreign ministry remained tight-lipped on the matter, directing inquiries to the BLS website.
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This move came just a day after India issued an advisory cautioning its citizens in or traveling to Canada to “exercise utmost caution.” The advisory was prompted by concerns over “growing anti-India activities” and “politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence” within Canada. Delhi further revealed that some recent threats had been directed at Indian diplomats and individuals who opposed the “anti-India agenda” within Canada.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau intensified the standoff when he announced that intelligence agencies were investigating possible involvement of “agents of the government of India” in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen who had been designated a terrorist by India in 2020. Nijjar was fatally shot by two masked gunmen outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia on June 18.
In response, Prime Minister Trudeau stated firmly, “Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty.”
India vehemently rejected these allegations, asserting that Canada was attempting to “shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists” who had found refuge within its borders. The Khalistan movement, centered in the Sikh-majority Punjab state, experienced its peak in the 1980s with a violent insurgency. Although it has lost momentum within India, it still garners support among segments of the Sikh diaspora, particularly in countries like Canada, Australia, and the UK.
Canada, home to the highest number of Sikhs outside of Punjab, has witnessed multiple pro-Khalistan protests and demonstrations in recent years. In June, it was reported that India had lodged a “formal complaint” with Canada regarding the safety of its diplomats stationed there.
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