Canada has issued an updated travel advisory for its citizens currently in India, urging them to "stay vigilant and exercise caution" due to recent developments that have sparked calls for protests and generated some "negative sentiment" towards Canada on social media platforms.
Tensions between India and Canada escalated following allegations made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, aged 45, on Canadian soil. The incident occurred on June 18 in British Columbia. It is noteworthy that India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.
In response to these explosive allegations, India vehemently the claims, dismissing them as "absurd" and "motivated." In a tit-for-tat diplomatic exchange, India expelled a senior Canadian diplomat, mirroring Ottawa's earlier expulsion of an Indian official linked to the case.
The Canadian government issued a statement on Sunday, cautioning its citizens in India about the current situation. It read, "In the context of recent developments in Canada and in India, there are calls for protests and some negative sentiment towards Canada on social media. Please remain vigilant and exercise caution".
This advisory follows a similar action taken by the Indian government, which recently issued an advisory for Indian nationals and students residing in Canada. Additionally, visa services were temporarily halted in response to the escalating diplomatic tensions between the two nations, as reported by Global News.
Earlier on September 20, India responded to escalating diplomatic tensions with Canada by issuing a travel advisory for all Indian nationals in Canada, urging them to register with Indian missions. This development came shortly after Canada had issued its own travel advisory, recommending its citizens to "exercise a high degree of caution" when traveling to various regions of India.
The Ministry of External Affairs in India expressed concerns about the "growing anti-India activities" and what it referred to as "politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence" in Canada. The advisory issued by the ministry read, "In view of growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence in Canada, all Indian nationals there and those contemplating travel are urged to exercise utmost caution. Our High Commission/Consulates General will continue to be in contact with the Canadian authorities to ensure the safety and well-being of the Indian community in Canada".
The diplomatic rift began when Trudeau made unprecedented allegations against India during a speech in the House of Commons. He attributed the June murder of pro-Khalistan ideologue Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia to Indian agents. The accusations were intensified when Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced the expulsion of Pavan Kumar Rai, a diplomat at the High Commission of India in Ottawa. In a surprising move, she also revealed that Rai served as the head of station for the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) of India.
In response, India expelled a senior Canadian diplomat and directed him to depart within five days. Subsequently, several online media reports suggested that Canada had updated its travel advisory for India, warning travelers of an "unpredictable situation" in Jammu and Kashmir. However, the High Commission of Canada clarified that the advisory cautioning against travel to Jammu and Kashmir was not new and had remained unchanged since at least July 2021, as reported by The Hindu.