India-Canada row: Canadian diplomats in Punjab, Chandigarh granting visas to Khalistani supporters, says report
- India-Canada row: The escalating tensions between the two countries began last month over the killing of Canada-based pro-Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia's Surrey in July this year.
India-Canada row: Amid India-Canada row over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Top Indian government sources have alleged that Canadian diplomats in consulate across Chandigarh and Punjab are issuing visas to people who are Khalistani supporters, a report by CNN-News18 has stated. The escalating tensions between the two countries began last month over the killing of Canada-based pro-Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia's Surrey in July this year.
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Top sources told the daily that despite knowing their criminal background, Canadian diplomats have been "very lenient" while granting visas, further adding that, their visas are also being extended to help their cause and gain maximum strength.
“The Canadian diplomats have done this deliberately and the idea was very clear, to give visa to take certain individuals out of India. Even people those who were involved in cases were given visa and sent to Canada by these diplomats,” top sources have alleged as quoted by CNN-News18.
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Last week, Canada claimed that they had held numerous ‘meetings’ with India to make them aware of the ‘credible allegations’ that state India and its intelligence agency was involved in the killing. On 20 October, the Canada Government also informed that a total of 41 diplomats and their dependents have been withdrawn from India after New Delhi threatened to revoke their immunity. “Forty-one Canadian diplomats and their 42 dependents were in danger of having their immunity stripped on an arbitrary date and this would put their personal safety at risk," Canada's foreign minister Melanie Joly had said.
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On 41 Canadian diplomats removed from India, Prime Minister Trudeau lashed out at India and said, “The Indian government is making it unbelievably difficult for life as usual to continue for millions of people in India and in Canada."
With the reduction of Canadian diplomats, Canada's Immigration Minister Marc Miller said that visa processing of Indians looking to come to Canada will slowdown for now. The reduction in staff would mean a backlog of 17,500 Canada Visa application decisions through the end of December, though it’s hoped processing will return to normal by early 2024, as reported by Bloomberg.
Speaking on the diplomats issue, on 22 October, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said New Delhi insisted on having diplomatic parity as it had concerns about the "continuous interference in our affairs by Canadian personnel".
"We have not made much of that public. My sense is that over a period of time, more stuff will come out and people will understand why we had the kind of discomfort with many of them which we did," he said as quoted by PTI, replying to a question on the India-Canada ties at an interactive session. The EAM also asserted that New Delhi's decision on ensuring parity in diplomatic presence with that country is in line with the Vienna Convention. Moreover, he also added that India is looking at resuming visa services for Canadians "very soon" if it sees progress in the safety of its diplomats in Canada.
(With agency inputs)
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Business NewsNewsIndiaIndia-Canada row: Canadian diplomats in Punjab, Chandigarh granting visas to Khalistani supporters, says report
First Published:24 Oct 2023, 03:51 PM IST
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