In the midst of a diplomatic dispute between India and Canada, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs stated in a press conference on Thursday that students residing in Canada with valid Indian visas or Overseas Citizen of India cards are permitted to travel to India. The Ministry emphasized that Indian students in Canada are not facing any visa issues.
India suspends issuing visas to Canadians "till further notice"
However, in a significant development, India has halted the issuance of visas to Canadian citizens until further notice. This announcement was made by BLS International, a private agency responsible for the initial screening of visa applications from Canadians, citing operational reasons.
This diplomatic tension arises in the wake of allegations made by Ottawa, claiming credible evidence that agents from New Delhi were involved in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijajr, a pro-Khalistan Sikh terrorist. The Indian government has categorically dismissed these allegations as baseless and politically motivated.
It remains unclear whether the suspension of visas is related to this dispute.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of being involved in the fatal shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a designated terrorist in India, who was killed outside a Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada on June 18. Trudeau, during a debate in the Canadian Parliament, stated that their national security officials had reasons to believe that Indian government agents were responsible for the murder of the Canadian citizen, who was also the president of Surrey's Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has rejected these allegations made by the Canadian Prime Minister and foreign minister, labeling them as absurd and politically motivated.
We have seen and repudiated the statements made by the Prime Minister of Canada in their Parliament as well as the statement made by the Foreign Minister of Canada. The allegations that the Government of India is involved in any violence in Canada are preposterous and motivated.
