India has suspended visa services for Canadian citizens following an escalating dispute over the murder of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil. The move comes after Canada announced it was investigating “credible allegations” linking India to the assassination of the separatist leader. India has vehemently denied the accusation, dismissing it as “absurd.” Analysts suggest that the strained relations between the two countries have reached an all-time low.
The announcement of the visa suspension was made by BLS, the visa service provider, on Thursday. The message, posted on the BLS website, cited “operational reasons” for the decision. India’s foreign ministry declined to comment on the matter and directed inquiries to the BLS website.
This development follows India’s advisory to its citizens traveling to or residing in Canada, urging them to exercise caution due to the “growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence in Canada.” Canada is home to approximately 1.4 million people of Indian origin, accounting for 3.7% of the country’s population. Additionally, India sends the highest number of international students to Canada, with Indian students comprising 40% of the total overseas student population in 2022.
The tensions between the two nations escalated further when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that intelligence agencies were investigating whether “agents of the government of India” were involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen. Nijjar, who had been designated a terrorist by India in 2020, was shot dead by two masked gunmen outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia on June 18.
Prime Minister Trudeau condemned any foreign government’s involvement in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil, calling it an “unacceptable violation of our sovereignty.” In response, India accused Canada of attempting to divert attention from Khalistani terrorists and extremists who have found refuge in the country.
The Khalistan movement, seeking a separate Sikh homeland, gained prominence in India during the 1980s with a violent insurgency centered in Punjab state. Although the movement has lost momentum in India, it still enjoys support among some members of the Sikh diaspora in countries such as Canada, Australia, and the UK. Canada is home to the largest Sikh population outside of India, with over 780,000 Sikh individuals, comprising more than 2% of the country’s population. The nation has witnessed several pro-Khalistan protests and demonstrations.
In June, reports emerged that India had lodged a “formal complaint” with Canada regarding the safety of its diplomats in the country. The situation remains tense as both nations grapple with the fallout from the murder and the subsequent allegations.