1 of 3 File photo shows meeting between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 summit on September 10, 2023 Photo: Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP File photo shows meeting between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 summit on September 10, 2023 Photo: Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP
India suspended visa issuance for Canadian citizens on Thursday (21). India’s decision comes three days after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he believed the Asian country may have been involved in the murder of a Canadian citizen (Read more below).
The body responsible for processing Indian visas in Canada, Visa BLS, released a message from the Indian mission citing “operational reasons” for the decision.
“Important Notice from the Indian Mission: Due to operational reasons, visa services to India have been suspended with effect from September 21, 2023 until further notice.”
As of the last update of this report, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs had not commented on the issue.
2 of 3 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses the national parliament on September 19, 2023 Photo: Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses the national parliament on September 19, 2023 Photo : Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday (18) that intelligence agencies are investigating whether Indian government agents were involved in the murder of activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Nijjar was shot dead in his vehicle by two masked gunmen on June 18 in British Columbia, a Canadian state.
“Any involvement of a foreign government in the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty,” Trudeau told the Canadian Parliament.
India hit back, saying Canada was shifting its focus from the terrorists and extremists who had been given sanctuary.
3 of 3 Khalistan referendum banner is displayed on a street in British Columbia, Canada, on September 18, 2023 Photo: Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP Khalistan referendum banner is displayed on a street in British Columbia, Canada, displayed. on September 18, 2023 Photo: Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP
The Khalistan movement, with which Nijjar was associated, reached its peak in India in the 1980s with an uprising in the Sikhmajority state of Punjab. It was brutally suppressed and has little resonance in India today, but is still popular in countries such as Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.
Canada has the largest number of Sikhs outside of Punjab and has witnessed several proKhalistan protests and demonstrations.
In June, reports said India had lodged an “official complaint” with Canada about the safety of its diplomats in the country.