India-Canada Diplomatic Row: Indian High Commissioner Speaks On Visa Suspensions
Sanjay Kumar Verma, the Indian High Commissioner to Canada on Wednesday responded to New Delhi’s decision on visa suspension to Canadian citizens. He said that the prevailing situation is not ideal to conduct normal diplomatic and Consular functions by India. Mr Verma was speaking to the Hindustan Times in an interview and explained that there could be a possibility of some relaxation for Canadian citizens if the diplomatic status between the two countries improves.
This will be enabled once the security environment for Indian diplomats and consular workers who are currently working from Canada meet a positive development. Mr Verma also mentioned that there are security threats still prevailing from anti-India activities at the Canadian soil, even though very small in number. “As long as the core reasons are not dealt with, security threat will continue to persist”, he added. Pro-Khalistan groups organised car rallies to India’s High Commission in Ottawa and its Consulates in Toronto and Vancouver on Saturday. They held posters describing Mr Verma, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar as ‘Enemies of Canada’, HT reports.
New Delhi and Ottawa are going through a difficult phase in terms of diplomatic relationship. Everything started when the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, while addressing his Parliament, alleged India that the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on the Canadian soil as an extraterritorial assassination operated by New Delhi. Mr Trudeau also initiated an investigation on the matter with the help of Canadian Intelligence agencies, and the controversy immediately triggered bureaucratic tension between the two countries. However, India dismissed the allegations as “absurd” and “motivated”.
The row got more worsened as both of the country expelled its senior diplomats. India also suspended visa services in Canada citing ‘operational reasons’, and issued an advisory for its citizens and those who are travelling to Canada to exercise “utmost caution in view of growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence” in the country.
Ottawa then expressed their willingness to have a private discussion with India to resolve the row stating that the country has a serious approach towards the safety of their diplomats working on the Indian soil. The deadline was earlier October 10, and Canada shifted several of their diplomats based in India to Malaysia or Singapore. On withdrawing 41 diplomats and their 41 dependents from India, Canada’s Foreign Minister recently accused the Indian decision as “unethical”.
