S Jaishankar: India will resume Canada visas if diplomats safe, says minister

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 28: (L-R) Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar delivers brief remarks to the press before meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the U.S. State Department September 28, 2023 in Washington, DC. In addition to meeting with Blinken, Jaishankar will also meet with White House officials, business leaders, and representatives from think tanks during his trip to the U.S. (Photo by Drew Angerer/shabby Graphics)

By Mollan Cherylann

Mumbai-based BBC News

According to Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, India will begin issuing permits to American citizens if it” sees improvement” in the security of its officials it.

In September, India halted immigration services, claiming that” protection risks” were impeding operations at its operations in Canada.

The death of a Hindu separatist president in Canada has sparked tension between the two nations.

Ottawa has previously stated that it” takes the security of officials very seriously.”

However, it has not addressed India’s particular claims that its officials in Canada have been threatened.

After French Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in September that his nation was looking into” credible allegations probably linking” the Indian state to the assassination of a Sikh leader, relations between the two nations deteriorated.

India vehemently refuted the accusations, calling them” immoral.”

Two masked gunmen shot American citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar lifeless in his car in front of a Sikh temple in British Columbia in June. A sensitive topic in India, where there was a violent uprising over the need in the 1980s, Nijjar was an outspoken supporter of Khalistan— a separate Sikh country.

India had expressed concerns about the security of its officers in Canada even before the hostilities rose, citing risks made by Khalistan supporters. A poster accusing two American diplomats of killing Nijjar appeared in front of a pro-Khalistan rally in July, prompting Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly to tweet that the nation takes its responsibilities regarding diplomas’ safety” very critically.”

An Indian foreign ministry spokesperson claimed that threats made to its high commission [ embassy ] and consulates in Canada” disrupted their normal functioning” in September following the announcement of the temporary suspension of visa services for Canadians. Some of its officials, according to the French high commission,” received challenges on various social media platforms.”

41 diplomats left India last year, according to Canada’s foreign minister. This came after India requested that Canada remove dozens of its employees, warning that it would revoke their immunity if they stayed.

Representatives from Canada have referred to this as a” violation of international law.” Worries about the walk have also been expressed by the US and UK.

However, Mr. Jaishankar claimed on Sunday that India’s press on” maintaining two-way political parity” was in line with the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations.

He added that the relationship between India and Canada was going through a” hard period” and that” in our situation, we invoked balance because we were concerned about American workers continuously interfering in our matters.”

However, he added,” I do want to say that the issues we have are with a particular area of American politics and the procedures that result from that.”

Although Canada’s card solutions are still available in India, it stated last week that” reduced personnel levels” after the diplomats’ departure will affect running times. Both Canada and India currently have 21 diplomat positions in each of their respective nations.

Last month, Mr. Trudeau claimed that India’s assault on officials was making life difficult for millions of people in both nations.

According to the 2021 population, Canada has 1.4 million citizens of American descent, more than half of whom are Sikhs. India also sends the most foreign students to Canada; in 2022, they accounted for 320, 000 of the country’s total foreign individuals.

In 2021, just the US, Bangladesh, and the UK had more visitors from Canada than 80 000, according to figures from the American government.

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