The Canadian government on Wednesday discarded India's travel warning where Union external affairs ministry asked Indians who are planning to travel to Canada to excercise ‘utmost caution’ amid growing anti-India activities and hate crimes. Rejecting New Delhi's warning, Canadian public safety minister Dominic Leblanc said Canada is a safe country, as reported by Reuters.
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India's travel warning reflects the worsening relations between New Delhi and Canada after its Prime Minsiter Justin Trudeau claimed that there is a ‘potential link’ between Indian government agensts and the murder of pro-Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June. The advisory said there were also threats against members of the Indian community who ‘oppose the anti-India agenda’.
“In view of growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence in Canada, all Indian nationals there and those contemplating travel are urged to exercise utmost caution,” the advisory added.
India's travel advisory is also seen as a tit-for-tat response to Canada's travel information which was updated earlier amid growing tension between both the countries. It advised travellers to excercise ‘high degree of caution’ while in India due to the ‘threat of terrorist attacks’.
Trudeau's allegation while announcing a portion of information of the ongoing investigation into the killing of Nijjar escalated the already sour relations between New Delhi and Ottawa over the matter related to the latter's alleged support to the pro-Khalistan movement.
{{/usCountry}}Trudeau's allegation while announcing a portion of information of the ongoing investigation into the killing of Nijjar escalated the already sour relations between New Delhi and Ottawa over the matter related to the latter's alleged support to the pro-Khalistan movement.
{{/usCountry}}Moments after Trudeau's claim, Canada's foreign ministry expelled a senior Indian diplomat from the country. As a retaliatory action, India also booted out a top Canadian official soon after, with a condition to leave the country within five days. New Delhi has also dimissed Canada's claim in killing of Nijjar, calling it ‘absurd and motivated’.
There are 230,000 Indian students and 700,000 non-resident Indians in Canada, according to the website of the Indian high commission in Ottawa.