India resumes e-visas for Canadian nationals
India has resumed e-visa services for Canadian nationals after a two-month suspension caused by a diplomatic spat. The suspension followed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's claim of a potential link between Indian government agents and the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
New Delhi: India has resumed e-visa services for Canadian nationals, two months after it suspended the facility following a diplomatic spat with Canada triggered by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s claim of a potential link between Indian government agents and the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, people aware of the matter said on Wednesday.
The two countries also carried out tit-for-tat expulsions of senior diplomats in September.
Trudeau had then said there are “credible allegations of a potential link” between Indian government agents and the killing of Nijjar in June, a claim that was rejected by the Indian side as “absurd and motivated”.
The Canadian claim further damaged bilateral relations which were already at an all-time low.
The development came a little more than a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Trudeau at the meeting on the margins of the G20 Summit in Delhi that India expects Ottawa to cooperate in tackling pro-Khalistani elements on Canadian soil who are “promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats”.
India has been deeply concerned about Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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The issue came up during a bilateral meeting on Tuesday between external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Australian counterpart Penny Wong.
“We discussed issues between India and Canada. Australia has a good, strong and close relationship with both of us. I felt it was important that Australia get our perspective on the issue. The key issue really is the space given to radicalism and extremism in Canada,” Jaishankar said at a joint press briefing with Wong after the 14th India-Australia Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue.
Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was shot dead in the parking lot of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in the town of Surrey in British Columbia on June 18. Nijjar was earlier designated a terrorist by the Indian government for his involvement in pro-Khalistan activities.
In a speech to Canada’s House of Commons on September 18, Trudeau said he wished to inform the House of an “extremely serious matter” that he had discussed with opposition leaders.
“Over the past number of weeks, Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Canada is a rule-of-law country. The protection of our citizens and defence of our sovereignty are fundamental,” he said.
