Indian visa services in Canada have been suspended until further notice for operational reasons, according to an update on Thursday from BLS International, the agency responsible for operating Indian visa application centres in Canada.
The Indian government is yet to make a formal announcement on the matter.
The development occurs amidst deteriorating diplomatic relations between the two nations following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's derogatory remarks in the House of Commons, where he referred to the Indian government as "agents" supposedly connected to the slaying of pro-Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Indian Visa Services in Canada Suspended Amid Canada-India Row
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Trudeau said he wants the Indian government to take the matter 'with the utmost seriousness'.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the charges as “absurd and motivated”.
It said that Trudeau’s charges were meant to shift focus away from New Delhi’s longstanding concerns that Khalistan activists have been “provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
‘Politically-Sanctioned Hate Crimes’ on the Rise in Canada, India Says
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has urged its citizens in Canada, as well as those considering traveling there, to exercise caution in light of the "increasing anti-India activities, politically-condoned hate crimes, and criminal violence."
As a fallout of Trudeau’s remarks, both the countries have expelled each other's senior diplomats.
Nijjar, who led the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and was designated a terrorist under India's Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), was shot dead by unidentified men at a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, in June.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police's (RCMP) Integrated Homicide Investigative Team (IHIT) told Sputnik that the investigation into the matter is still "ongoing".
Until now, the IHIT has narrowed their attention to a pair of suspects captured on surveillance cameras near the location of the Surrey shooting, during the critical moments surrounding Nijjar's tragic demise.