
The Indian government has launched a coordinated campaign to disprove the unsubstantiated claims made by Canadian Prime Justin Trudeau over the alleged involvement of ‘Indian government agents’ in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The Hindustan Times newspaper, quoting sources, reported that New Delhi officials have been setting up meetings with the foreign ministers and diplomats of its allies, pressuring Canada to provide evidence.
On Wednesday, top Indian officials met with counterparts of its allies in the new parliament building, and briefed them about the situation.
Apart from that, New Delhi has told Ottawa that it will cooperate with its investigation, provided they first present solid evidence that points to the Indian government’s involvement.
The Indian government has also initiated an outreach policy with the allies in the West, including the US and Australia, to convince them that the Indian intelligence agencies were not responsible for the killing and that the charges are baseless and motivated by local political considerations.
The diplomatic stand-off between India and Canada plunged to a new lowon Thursday (Sept 21) after Indian visa services were suspended for Canadians.
The website of BLS International, which handles the visa processing,said, "Indian Visa services in Canada suspended till further notice." BLS quoted an Indian mission notice for this update.
"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 website said.
Meanwhile, the Canadian High Commission said that it is “temporarily adjusting staff presence in India”, claiming that some of its diplomats have been receiving threats on social media.
"Our High Commission and all consulates in India are open and operational and continue to serve clients. In light of the current environment where tensions have heightened, we are taking action to ensure the safety of our diplomats. With some diplomats having received threats on various social media platforms, Global Affairs Canada is assessing its staff complement in India,” the High Commission of Canada in India said.
The Canadian mission has urged the Indian government to provide security to its diplomats.
(With inputs from agencies)
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