Exercise a High Degree of Caution While Traveling to India, Canada Updates Advisory
This advisory has escalated tensions between Canada and India.
In a recent update to its travel advisory, the Canadian government has urged its citizens to refrain from traveling to its citizens to exercise a high degree of caution in India due to the threat of terrorist attacks throughout the country. This advisory has escalated tensions between Canada and India following Canada’s allegations that the Indian government may have played a role in the killing of Khalistan extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June.
The advisory from Canada warns its citizens about the security risks associated with travel to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, including the threat of terrorism, militancy, civil unrest, and kidnapping. However, it notably excludes Ladakh from the travel warning, categorizing India as a destination where travelers should “Exercise A High Degree Of Caution.”
This development has unfolded alongside Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s call for India to treat Canada’s allegations with the utmost seriousness. This request was also echoed by the United States. The diplomatic tensions reached a point where both countries expelled officials from each other’s embassies, with India expelling a Canadian intelligence official and Canada expelling a senior Canadian diplomat from New Delhi.
Canada had previously asserted that there were “credible allegations” linking agents connected to New Delhi to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, on June 18 in front of a Sikh cultural center in a Vancouver suburb. In response, the Indian government labeled Canada’s allegations as “absurd.”
Prime Minister Trudeau clarified that his statements were not intended to provoke or escalate tensions with New Delhi. He emphasized that Canada was merely presenting the facts as they understood them. Trudeau stressed the importance of India taking the matter seriously and expressed concern over foreign involvement in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil, considering it a violation of sovereignty.
The bilateral relationship between Canada and India was already strained due to concerns over pro-Khalistan activities in Canada. These activities included discussions of a referendum for a separate Sikh homeland, incidents targeting Indian diplomatic premises, and incitement of violence against top Indian officials. The recent allegations have further exacerbated these existing tensions, causing a strain on diplomatic ties between the two nations.
Parvasi Media Group