Visa services for Canadian citizens have been halted by India starting from Thursday, according to BLS International, a visa consultancy service provider, as per information received from the Indian mission. This suspension follows Canada's assertion that it is actively investigating credible allegations linking Indian government agents to the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia in June.
The Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has unequivocally denied any involvement of Indian agents in the murder. The suspension of visa services is attributed to "operational reasons" until further notice, as stated in the notice from the Indian mission.
Additionally, in a separate incident, Sukhdool Singh, another Sikh separatist leader who had sought refuge in Canada from India's Punjab in 2017, was fatally shot multiple times in Winnipeg, Canada, on Wednesday.
These developments have exacerbated tensions in India-Canada relations, particularly after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of having a role in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil in a parliamentary statement