The News Freedom
Chandigarh, November 22
India on Wednesday resumed e-visa services for all Canadian nationals amid the ongoing diplomatic row between the two countries. “Indian e-Visa facility has been restored with effect from November 22 for all eligible Canadian citizens holding regular, ordinary Canadian passports. Holder of any other category of Canadian passport will need to apply for regular paper visa, in accordance with the existing modalities,” said the High Commission of India in Ottawa. “Details may be found on the respective websites of High Commission of India, Ottawa; Consulate General of India, Toronto and Consulate General of India, Vancouver” the High Commission of India said.
Commenting on the decision, External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar said that it has nothing to do with G-20 meeting. What had happened was we had temporarily suspended visa issuance because the situation in Canada made it difficult for our diplomats to go to office and do the necessary work for processing visas. “As the situation there has become more secure or relatively improved, I think we have found it possible for the visa services to progressively resume and you know, the physical visas had started in many categories. So, at that time itself we had said we will be looking at the e-visas next. I think it was a logical consequence of that,” Jaishankar further said.
India on October 25 announced plans to resume visa services for certain categories. The High Commission of India in Ottawa in a press release had said that 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 for certain categories including entry, business, medical and conference visas with effect from October 26.
The Relations between India and Canada deteriorated following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s explicit allegations, accusing “agents of the Indian government” of orchestrating the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Subsequently, Canada expelled a top Indian diplomat on September 18. As a result, the Ministry of External Affairs summoned the High Commissioner of Canada to India on September 19 and was informed about the decision of the Government of India to expel a senior Canadian diplomat based in India.
Later the fallout was swift and significant, with India promptly asked Canada to downsize its diplomatic representation. As a result, Canada withdrew 41 of its diplomats from India on October 19. Amid the unfolding crisis in bilateral relations, Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly in her address said that communication continues with Dr S Jaishankar to resolve the issue.
This month on November 16, Minister of External Affairs Dr S. Jaishankar asked Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, to provide evidence in Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing on November 16. “If you have a reason to make such an allegation, please share the evidence with us. Look, if you have a reason to make such an allegation, please share the evidence with us. We are not ruling out an investigation and looking at anything which they may have to offer. They haven’t done so, “ Jaishankar had said in an interview with journalist Lionel Barber in London. He had shared this conversation on his social media platform X formerly known as Twitter. Jaishankar was responding to Trudeau’s recent comment on the issue.
It may recalled that India on November 10 conveyed to the US its concerns over pro-Khalistan activities in Canada during the Fifth Annual India-U.S. 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue held in New Delhi. Minister of External Affairs, Dr S. Jaishankar, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh led the Indian side at the ministerial dialogue talks while the American delegation was led by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Later on the same day while providing details about the discussion on pro-Khalistani activities in Canada, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that we have made our position very clear to our friends and partners and I think they understand and appreciate the sense of where India comes from. “We have been having very consistent conversations with all our friends and partners and our position on this matter has been explained in full detail at multiple occasions,” he said.
“We have core security concerns and I am sure you are all aware of the recent video that has surfaced from one such individual – Gurpatwant Singh Pannun – which presents very serious security concerns,” Kwatra further said while addressing a press conference after the ministerial dialogue concluded.
Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) leader and pro-Khalistani Gurpatwant Singh Pannun had released a threatening video asking Sikhs not to travel via Air India flights after 19 November.
Recently, India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, asked Ottawa to present compelling evidence supporting its claims regarding the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. In an exclusive interview with Canada’s The Globe and Mail, Commissioner Verma highlighted India’s dissatisfaction, stressing the absence of substantial evidence from Canada or its allies that would substantiate the involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar’s killing, which occurred in Burnaby, B.C.
During a conversation with HT Editor-in-Chief R Sukumar at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in New Delhi on November 5, External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar, said that there is still room for diplomacy to address the diplomatic row between India and Canada over the killing of Nijjar and the two sides need to find a balance in the matter.