NEW DELHI: After getting security assurances from Canada, India has decided to resume visa services for Canadians. This has come a month after visa services were suspended by India on September 21 after voicing concerns about its diplomats’ security.
“The High Commission of India in Ottawa, Canada and its Consulates General in Toronto and Vancouver were constrained to suspend visa services temporarily because of safety and security concerns. After a considered review of the security situation that takes into account some recent Canadian measures in this regard, it has been decided to resume visa services from October 26 for entry visa, business visa, medical visa and conference visa,” said the Indian High Commission in Ottawa.
Meanwhile, emergency situations will continue to be addressed by the High Commission and the Consulate General as it is being done currently. “Further decisions would be intimated based on continuing evaluation of the situation,” the HCI in Ottawa added. It may be recalled that Indian diplomats were threatened by Khalistani supporters.
Their photos appeared on posters where a bounty was put on their heads. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had stated that if the diplomats felt threatened to go to the missions, there was no way they could facilitate consular services.
This was also an outcome of a diplomatic spat between the two countries, which was triggered by Canadian PM Justin Trudeau’s statement, where he accused India behind the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.