India halts visa services, Canada adjusts diplomatic presence as spat escalates
Ottawa is adjusting its diplomatic staff presence in India, and New Delhi is halting visa services in Canada as a spat over the murder of a Canadian citizen deepens.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dropped a bombshell Monday in the House of Commons when he cited “credible” intelligence that agents of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government may be linked to the killing of 45-year-old Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Nijjar, a prominent Sikh leader who advocated for the Khalistan movement, was shot dead June 18 outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, B.C.
Trudeau did not elaborate further on what evidence Canadian intelligence agencies may have.
India has strongly denied the allegation, accused Canada of sheltering “Khalistani terrorists and extremists,” and warned its citizens in Canada to “exercise utmost caution” due to what it calls “anti-India activities” in the nation. Both nations have expelled each other’s diplomats.
Now, New Dehli’s visa processing centre in Canada has suspended its services, while Ottawa is tweaking its diplomatic presence in India given some staff have received threats on various social media platforms, Global Affairs Canada said Thursday.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to temporarily adjust staff presence in India. All of our locations are staffed by diplomats and locally-engaged staff to ensure business and operational continuity,” a spokesperson told Global News.
“Global Affairs Canada will continue to take all appropriate measures to protect the health and safety of all our personnel, including locally-engaged staff, and to protect our operations in India. Decisions are made based on a number of factors including the professional profile of an employee or personal
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