Recently in Canada, India’s high commission mentioned that the country’s officials will continue to process some types of visa applications for Canadians, who are applying from the country as well as abroad.
Lately Canada has welcomed India’s decision to resume some visa services in the country, saying the move was a ‘good sign,’ amid a diplomatic row over the killing of a ‘Khalistani’ terrorist.
A month after the decision came that, New Delhi suspended the services in Canada and for Canadian citizens worldwide as tensions flared between the two countries last month following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations of the ‘potential’ involvement of Indian agents in the killing of alleged Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 in British Columbia.
In 2020 India had designated Nijjar a ‘terrorist’ and has rejected Trudeau’s allegations as ‘absurd.’
Canada’s Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan, who also is a Sikh said, it’s a good news that the resumption of visa is processing but wouldn’t speculate on what message New Delhi is trying to send.
Mr. Sajjan told the reporters that, it’s good to see that they have resumed that. It would have been better if they didn’t take it in the first place.
He said it was important that Indians and Canadians can go back and forth when it comes to events like funerals and weddings and he also said that Ottawa is still looking for India’s help because the police is investigating the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
India will resume services for conference visas, medical visas, entry visas and business visas. The Canada-India Business Council said in a statement that, it was a promising development’ for trade relations.
Wrote council head Victor Thomas said that, it is a good sign that both governments have expressed their support for bilateral business and investments amidst these unusual times. The development came days after Canada pulled out 41 of its diplomats from India.
New Delhi had openly denounced protests by Sikh separatist groups outside its diplomatic missions in Canada, as well as posters that appeared to offer cash rewards in exchange for the home addresses of Indian diplomats. India officially called on Canada to better uphold its duty to protect foreign diplomats and suspended visa processes in protest, as well as they also asked Canada to come down hard on terrorists, extremists, and anti-India elements operating from its soil.
