2023-09-21 16:18:20
In further scaling up of the diplomatic row between India and Canada over the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in Surrey, India has temporarily suspended its visa services for Canada. The government is simultaneously working to reduce Canadian diplomatic presence in India apparently to “bring parity” between the two nations.
“You are aware of the security threats faced by our consulates and High Commission in Canada. This has disrupted their normal functioning. Accordingly, they are temporarily unable to process visa applications. We will be reviewing the situation on a regular basis,” said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi at a media briefing on Thursday.
The temporary suspension in issuance of visas is across all visa categories and also applies to e-visas and visas applied for by Canadian citizens in third countries, Bagchi elaborated. He added that the security threat faced by the Indian missions was due to Canada’s inaction once morest those inciting violence.
However, those who have valid visas or other kind of documents, like the OCI, are free to travel to India, he said.
Parity strength
On reduction of diplomatic staff at the Canadian High Commission in India, Bagchi said that the Canadian government had been informed that there should be parity in strength and rank equivalence in mutual diplomatic presence. “Their numbers here are much higher than ours in Canada. The details are being worked out. But I assume there will be a reduction from the Canadian side,” he said.
Diplomatic ties between the two nations took a massive hit on Monday when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in a Parliament address, accused India of having possible links with the assasination of Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, and expelled a senior Indian diplomat.
Since then, tensions have escalated with India strongly denying the allegation, expelling a Canadian diplomat, accusing Canada of harboring terrorists and Khalistan supporters and issuing a travel advisory for Indian nationals and students in Canada asking them to exercise utmost caution in view of growing anti-India activities and “politically-condoned” hate crimes.
Canada rejected India’s denial and asked it to take the matter with utmost seriousness but India, on Thursday, said that no information has been shared by the country on the killing of Nijjar.
“No specific information has been shared by Canada on this case either before or following. We have made it clear to Canada that we are willing to look at any specific information,” Bagchi said.
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