NEW DELHI: According to a notice from the Indian mission, visa consultancy service provider BLS International announced on its website that India has suspended visa services for Canadian citizens as of Thursday( Sep 21 ).
The notice reads,” Critical notice from Indian Mission: Indian immigration services have been suspended until further notice due to operational reasons, effective September 21, 2023.”
This comes one day after India issued a warning to its members not to travel to certain regions of Canada in response to the country’s debunking claim that New Delhi was responsible for the murder of an Sikh dissident close to Vancouver.
Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, has urged India to take its murder-related accusations seriously.
Tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions and a vehement denial from India following the consequences, which declared any claim that India was involved in Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s murder to be” absurd.”
India’s foreign ministry stated on Wednesday that it was worried about the safety of its citizens in Canada due to” politically condoned hate crimes and criminal violence ,” without specifically mentioning the dispute.
According to a government statement,” threats have specifically targeted American diplomats and segments of the American community who oppose the anti-India agenda.”
American citizens are thus advised to stay away from areas and potential Canadian locations where such incidents have occurred.