India has told Canada to reduce its diplomatic staff and stopped issuing visas to its citizens on Thursday as a rift widened between the once-close allies over Ottawa’s allegation that New Delhi may have been involved in the killing of a Canadian citizen.
Ties between the two countries — key strategic partners in security and trade — have plunged to their lowest point in years since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there were “credible allegations” of Indian involvement in the assassination of a Sikh separatist activist in June in a Vancouver suburb.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a 45-year-old Canadian citizen who had been wanted by India for years, was gunned down outside the temple he led in the city of Surrey. Nijjar, a plumber, was born in India but became a Canadian citizen in 2007.
Speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Trudeau acknowledged the complicated diplomatic situation he faced.
'Protecting Canadians'
“There is no question that India is a country of growing importance and a country that we need to continue to work with," he said. “We are not looking to provoke or cause problems but we are unequivocal around the importance of the rule of law and unequivocal about the importance of protecting Canadians.”
The bombshell Monday allegation by Trudeau set off an international tit-for-tat, with each country expelling a diplomat. India called the allegations “absurd.”
Canada has yet to provide any evidence to back Trudeau's allegations, and Canadian UN Ambassador Bob Rae indicated on Thursday that it may not come very soon.
“This is very early days,” Rae told reporters at the United Nations, insisting that while facts will emerge, they must “come out in the course of the pursuit of justice.”
"That’s what we call the rule of law in Canada,” he said.
Visa services suspended
On Thursday, the company that processes Indian visas in Canada announced that visa services had been suspended until further notice. The BLS Indian Visa Application Center gave no further details.
The suspension means that Canadians who don’t already have visas will not be able to travel to India until services resume. Canadians are among the top travellers to India. In 2021, 80,000 Canadian tourists visited the country, according to India’s Bureau of Immigration.
Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi blamed the visa suspension, which includes visas issued in third countries, on safety issues.
“Security threats being faced by our High Commission and consulates in Canada have disrupted their normal functioning. Accordingly, they are temporarily unable to process visa applications,” Bagchi told reporters. "We will be reviewing the situation on a regular basis."
He gave no details on the alleged threats.
The announcement quickly rippled across Canada, especially among people with ties to India.
Threats
The Canadian High Commission in New Delhi said on Thursday that all its consulates in India are open and continue to serve clients.
It said some of its diplomats had received threats on social media, prompting it to assess its “staff complement in India.” It added that Canada expects India to provide security for its diplomats and consular officers working there.
On Wednesday, India warned its citizens to be careful when travelling to Canada because of “growing anti-India activities and politically condoned hate-crimes.”
Canada has yet to provide any evidence of Indian involvement in the killing. India's security and intelligence branches have long been active in South Asia. But arranging the killing of a Canadian citizen in Canada, home to nearly 2 million people of Indian descent, would be unprecedented.
