After nearly two months of closure, India has again opened visas for Canadian citizens. The visa service was closed from last September 21. The administration decided not to allow Canadian citizens to enter India. But India withdrew from that decision.
India suspended Canadian visas in September, citing Indian intelligence agencies’ involvement in the killing of Canadian national Hardeep Singh Nijja in June this year. Finally, after being closed for two consecutive months, India again allowed all visa services including tourist and medical to Canada.
Both Canada and India issue warnings to their citizens for travel to India and Canada. However, the Indian government has been strongly denying the allegations of Indian involvement in the killing of the Canadian citizen.
India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said in a press conference in the United States that although Canada is not investigating India’s involvement in the killing of a Canadian citizen, if Canada has any information on the matter, India will take appropriate action if Canada shares it with India.
It is to be noted that this crisis became evident after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations of India’s involvement in Nijja’s murder.
Incidentally, last June, 45-year-old Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead by assailants outside a Sikh temple in Vancouver, Canada. Earlier, the Indian government officially designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is scheduled to attend the G20 virtual meeting hosted by India on Wednesday. Trudeau’s secretariat confirmed his presence. In this situation, discussions are going on whether New Delhi’s visa-announcement is an indication of the two countries coming closer again or not. However, the Ministry of External Affairs of India has not yet officially opened its mouth on this issue. Canada did not open its mouth either.
