Canada: India has reportedly halted visa services for Canadians due to a growing dispute over the killing of a Sikh separatist on Canadian territory.
Visa service provider BLS posted a message saying Indian visa services have been suspended till further notice due to “operational reasons.” BLS International is an Indian service provider for government and diplomatic missions worldwide.
“Important notice from Indian Mission: Due to operational reasons, with effect from 21 September 2023, Indian visa services have been suspended till further notice,” BLS posted.
Tensions escalated this week when Canada stated that it was investigating believable claims linking India to the murder of the separatist leader. India strongly denied the accusation, labelling it “absurd.”
The action was taken a day after India advised its citizens travelling to or residing in Canada to be extremely cautious due to the rise in anti-India activities, politically endorsed hate crimes, and criminal violence in Canada.
On September 18, 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Mr. Justin Trudeau mentioned ongoing investigations by intelligence agencies to find the involvement of agents of the government of India in Mr. Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s assassination. India had labelled him a terrorist in 2020. The accused terrorist was a Canadian citizen.
Mr. Nijjar was shot inside his vehicle by two masked gunmen outside a Sikh temple on June 18, 2023, in British Columbia.
“Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty,” Mr. Trudeau said in the Canadian parliament.
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