India suspends visa applications for Canadians as diplomatic spat worsens

In response to what it claims are “security threats” against Canadian diplomats, India has blocked visa services for Canadians, increasing a spat between the two nations after Ottawa accused New Delhi of possibly being responsible for the murder of a Sikh separatist activist on its grounds.

In a message to Indian stock exchanges on Thursday, BLS International, which manages visa applications for Indian citizens in Canada, stated that visa services “have been suspended until further notice”.

“Due to operation reasons, with immediate effect i.e. 21 September 2023, Indian visa services in Canada have been suspended till further notice,” the letter, sent to the Bombay Stock Exchange, the National Stock Exchange of India and the Metropolitan Stock Exchange, read.

Prior to this, BLS International claimed on its website—citing a notice from the Indian mission—that India has stopped providing visa services to Canadians as of Thursday.

On Thursday, the notification was briefly taken down before it abruptly reappeared.

According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, “security threats” to the Indian High Commission and consulates in Canada prompted a temporary suspension of all types of visa issuing.

“The issue is of incitement of violence, the inaction by the Canadian authorities, the creation of an environment that disrupts the functioning our high commission and consulates, that’s what’s making us stop temporarily the issuance of visas or providing visa services,” MEA spokesman Arindam Bagchi told the media.

“We have always believed that it is the host government’s responsibility to provide security,” he added.

The announcement came after the MEA issued a strong travel warning on Wednesday, cautioning Indian nationals travelling to Canada about “politically condoned hate crimes.”

A few days ago, Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had stated that authorities were looking into “credible allegations” of a connection between “agents of the government of India” and the masked men’s involved in the gunning down of Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last June.

The charges have been vigorously refuted by India, who has called them “absurd and motivated.”

Canada has allegedly offered “no specific information” to corroborate India’s alleged involvement in Nijjar’s death, according to the MEA.

“Let me also point out that from our side, very specific evidence of criminal activities by individuals based on Canadian soil has been shared with the Canadian authorities on a regular basis but not been acted upon,” Bagchi said.

Bachi went on to hint at a decrease in Canada’s diplomatic representation in India.

However, Trudeau’s remarks have severely strained relations between the two nations, with reciprocal measures by India and Canada to expel top diplomats.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) accused Nijjar in 2020 of “trying to radicalise the Sikh community across the world in favour of the creation of “Khalistan,”” adding that he had been “trying to incite Sikhs to vote for secession, agitate against the government of India, and engage in violent activities.” Nijjar’s name can be found on the Home Ministry’s list of UAPA terrorists.

He was shot dead in his truck in June by two masked assailants outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, according to the Canadian police.

No one has been detained by Canadian authorities in relation to Nijjar’s murder. However, in an August update, police said they were looking into three individuals and provided a description of a potential getaway car, requesting