India’s High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma said that the Indian government is cooperating with an American investigation into an alleged thwarted assassination attempt of Sikhs For Justice leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and not Canada’s probe into the June killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia’s Surrey due to a disparity between the information both nations shared in their investigation.
India on Wednesday resumed e-visa services to Canadian nationals, according to sources. In September, the Indian mission in Canada suspended visa services until further notice, citing operational reasons, according to BLS International. BLS International Services Limited is an Indian outsourcing service provider for government and diplomatic missions worldwide. The company manages visa, passport, consular, attestation and citizen services.
Canada’s trade minister has indicated that Ottawa won’t restart trade talks with New Delhi until it co-operates with the investigation into the murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
In response to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations of New Delhi’s involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar has requested evidence to support the claims. During a conversation with former Financial Times Editor Lionel Barber at Wilton Park on Wednesday, Jaishankar emphasised the importance of credible evidence. When asked if there was any evidence of the Indian government’s involvement in the killing, the EAM said, “None.”
India has spearheaded recommendations for Canada to fortify measures preventing attacks on worship places and effectively address hate speech. The proposals were presented during the UN Human Rights Council Review meeting, where diplomats from India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka shared their insights and recommendations.
India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, currently on a visit to the United States until November 16, arrived in San Francisco Monday to attend the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) ministerial meeting. Goyal is invited to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in San Francisco.
Union Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal is scheduled to visit the US from November 13-17 to attend the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) ministerial meeting and has been invited to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in San Francisco. On the day of his arrival, the minister is scheduled to meet with Tesla chief Elon Musk.
Amid a rift in ties between New Delhi and Ottawa, the Foreign Minister of Canada, Melanie Joly, has said that she is in close contact with her Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar, adding that it is a difficult moment in relationship between the two nations that has spanned decades.
At the conclusion of the second phase of “Khalistan referendum” on October 29, the radical Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) group announced $100,000 for the arrest of High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma and released a new map with Delhi as part of Khalistan. The outlawed extremist group holds Verma responsible for the “assassination” of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar who was gunned down on June 18 this year outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in British Columbia province.
Calling for immediate de-escalation in strained diplomatic relations between India and Canada, Ujjal Dosanjh, former premier of British Columbia and erstwhile Canadian Minister of Health, stressed that India’s “muscular” foreign policy is “essentially for domestic consumption” and not granting visas to Canadian citizens hurts ordinary Indo-Canadians.
Stating that resolving differences would require Canadian diplomats on the ground, the US has expressed concern and urged India not to insist upon their reduction.
Canada evacuated its 41 diplomats and 42 accompanying dependents from India after New Delhi “threatened” to strip them of their diplomatic immunity following a diplomatic row over the killing of pro-Khalistani hardliner Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller said that visa processing in India will be “inevitably impacted” after Ottawa evacuated 41 of its diplomats following a diplomatic spat with New Delhi over the killing of pro-Khalistani hardliner Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Canada evacuated its 41 diplomats and 42 accompanying dependents from India after New Delhi “threatened to strip them of their diplomatic immunity”, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on Thursday.
India’s decision to stop visas for Canadian citizens — and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s silence on the issue — is proving too costly for Punjabis and the decision is badly affecting lives of thousands of Punjabis and the state is heading for big economic crisis due to this decision, Akali Dal leader Bikram Majithia said on Monday.
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on Tuesday said that Ottawa wants “private talks with India to resolve a diplomatic dispute” over the killing of Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
India is learnt to have told Canada to withdraw around 40 diplomats from the country by October 10 amid worsening ties between the two nations, according to reports. The reports have said that New Delhi has conveyed to Canada that if the diplomats are not withdrawn by the deadline, they will lose their diplomatic immunity.
India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was struck by how little people in the US, specially officials he met over the last days including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, knew about Canada’s permissive attitude towards terrorism and the thriving nexus of crime, extremism, and human trafficking that exists in that country.
Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) has expressed “deep concern” about the allegations made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the involvement of the Indian government in the assassination of a Sikh Canadian citizen.
The US on Monday reiterated that it is deeply concerned by the allegations made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding India’s involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar and called for a continued investigation into the matter. While addressing a press briefing, Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller said, We believe it’s critical that Canada’s investigation proceed and that the perpetrators be brought to justice. And we have publicly and privately urged the Indian Government to cooperate in the Canadian investigation.”
Dozens of Khalistan supporters outside the Indian Consulate in Vancouver, Canada held a protest against the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar amid Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations that the Indian government was behind his slaying.
The leak to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) News that Ottawa has human and signals intelligence implicating India in the killing of the Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar is clearly meant to be a less than subtle warning to New Delhi not to escalate bilateral tensions.
With India warning its citizens to “exercise utmost caution” while in Canada amid escalation of the diplomatic row between the two countries, the families of students and permanent residents, particularly the Hindus and Hindu-Canadians residing in the north American nation, are concerned about their well being.
Amid a diplomatic standoff between India and Canada following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations that India was involved in the killing of Canadian citizen and Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Thursday said he will not be going into the substance of private diplomatic conversations, but “the US is consulting with Ottawa closely and is in touch with the Indian government as well.”
The spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, Adrienne Watson, on Wednesday rejected reports of the US rebuffing Canada after the latter accused the Indian government of behind the assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Watson said they are “coordinating and consulting” with Canada and also “engaging” with the Indian government.
Stating that Hindu Canadians are ‘soft targets’, Indian-origin MP Chandra Arya on Thursday urged the community to stay calm, vigilant and report incidents of Hinduphobia in the face of a recent video by a Khalistani leader threatening and asking them to leave the country. Emboldened by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s accusations, Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, a designated Khalistani terrorist in India and leader of outlawed Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), asked Indo-Canadian Hindus to leave the country, leaving the community shocked and terrified.
