India | Canada
India announces resuming of visa services to Canadian citizens in certain categories
New Delhi/IBNS: Amid the ongoing diplomatic row with Canada, India Wednesday decided to resume visa services for some Canadian citizens in certain categories including Entry Visa, Business Visa, Medical Visa and Conference Visa.
This comes days after India suspended visa services to Canadians amid deteriorating diplomatic ties between the two countries over the Khalistani movement, especially over the killing of a separatist leader in British Columbia for which the Trudeau government blamed India.
In a notification, the Indian High Commission of India in Canada wrote, "The High Commission of India in Ottawa, Canada and its Consulate General in Toronto and Vancouver were constrained to suspend visa services because of safety and security considerations."
"After a considered review of the security situation that takes into account some recent Canadian measures in this regard, it has been decided to resume visa services," it said.
The services for the permitted categories will resume on Thursday.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said that if Indian diplomats are provided security in Canada as per the Vienna Convention, he would like "very much to resume the issuing of visas".
On September 21, amid the ongoing diplomatic standoff between Ottawa and New Delhi over the alleged killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June, India suspended visa services for Canadian nationals.
The relationship between New Delhi and Ottawa touched a new low after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged India's involvement in the killing of Nijjar.
Trudeau alleged that there are "credible allegations of a potential link" between Indian government agents and the killing of Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia Canada.
After Trudeau leveled the allegations against the Indian government in the country's Parliament, Canada’s foreign minister Mélanie Joly announced the expulsion of a “top Indian diplomat” as a consequence.
In a tit-for-tat, India also sacked a Canadian diplomat and asked him to leave the country within the next five days.
India rejected the allegations made by Canada over the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
(Reporting by Suman Das/IBNS)
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