India has stopped giving visas to Canadians as tensions between the two countries have escalated after Canada accused the Indian government of participating in the killing of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil..Visa service provider BLS posted a message from India's mission citing "operational reasons" as the explanation for their decision..Tensions escalated this week following Canada's announcement that it was investigating "credible allegations" connecting India to the assassination of the separatist leader..India rejected the allegation, denouncing it as “absurd.".The notice regarding the suspension of visas was initially published on the BLS website on Thursday.."Important notice from Indian Mission: Due to operational reasons, with effect from 21 September 2023, Indian visa services have been suspended till further notice," said the notice..This decision follows a day after India issued an advisory to its citizens travelling to or residing in Canada, advising them to "exercise utmost caution" due to the "growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence in Canada.”.According to the 2021 census, Canada has a population of 1.4 million people of Indian origin, which is 3.7% of the country's total population..India is also the leading source of international students in Canada. In 2022, Indian students were 40% of Canada's total international student population, which was 320,000 students..On Wednesday, Delhi reported that certain recent threats had been directed at its diplomats and some Indian individuals "who oppose the anti-India agenda.”.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated on Monday that intelligence agencies were investigating whether "agents of the government of India" were implicated in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. .India had labelled Nijjar a terrorist in 2020 and he was fatally shot in his vehicle by two individuals wearing masks outside a Sikh temple on June 18 in British Columbia.."Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the Parliament on Monday..India responded strongly that Canada was attempting to "shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists" who had found “refuge” in the country..Canada has the largest Sikh population outside of India, with approximately 780,000 Sikh residents, which is more than 2% of the country's total population.
