In the midst of a diplomatic dispute between the two nations over allegations linking Indian government officials to the death of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in June, India has banned visa services for Canadian citizens until further notice.
A notice by BLS International – an online visa application centre in India that provides visa consultancy services – posted on its website that, “Important notice from Indian Mission: Due to operational reasons, with effect from 21 September 2023, Indian visa services have been suspended till further notice. Please keep checking BLS website for further updates.”
The developments came three days after the Canadian prime minister’s allegations against India over the latter’s potential link with the murder of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
In his Monday speech, addressing the Parliament, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that Indian spies were responsible for Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s death by gunshot.
Trudeau claimed that his country’s national security officials had reasons to believe that “agents of the Indian government” carried out the killing of the Canadian citizen, who also served as the president of Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara.
“Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the Government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar,” Trudeau said.
