Canada advises citizens not to travel to India during Lok Sabha elections

Canada advises citizens not to travel to India during Lok Sabha elections

Toronto: Canada has advised its citizens against travelling to India between May and June 2024 during the Lok Sabha elections 2024 due to the threat of terrorist attacks throughout the country. According to the advisory issued by the Canadian government, citizens have been asked to “exercise a high degree of caution in India”.

“In the context of recent developments in Canada and in India, there are calls for protests and some negative sentiment towards Canada in traditional media and on social media. Demonstrations, including anti-Canada protests, could occur and Canadians may be subjected to intimidation or harassment. In Delhi and the National Capital Region, you should keep a low profile with strangers, and not share your personal information with them. Avoid crowded areas, including public transportation. You should always travel with someone and inform a friend or a family member of your travel plans,” the advisory added.

The advisory mentioned cities like Bengaluru, Chandigarh and Mumbai should be avoided for non-essential travel. “Consular services in-person are temporarily unavailable in those cities or surrounding areas. If you need consular services, contact the High Commission of Canada in India, located in New Delhi. At any time, you may also contact the Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa,” the advisory read.

It also advised citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Assam, Manipur due to the risk of terrorism and insurgency, and asked its citizens to avoid the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir due to the unpredictable security situation due to threat of terrorism, militancy, civil unrest and kidnapping.
This advisory excludes travelling to or within the Union Territory of Ladakh.

The guidelines also asked Canadians to remain alert about demonstrations that could take place around the general elections, which are scheduled to take place between April 19 and June 1.

It asked citizens avoid areas where demonstrations and large gatherings are taking place, follow instructions of local authorities, monitor local media for information on ongoing demonstrations and mass gatherings.

Recently, Canada trimmed the number of diplomatic personnel deployed in New Delhi and other parts of the country due to a fallout over allegations of India’s involvement in the killing of a Sikh separatist Nijjar. The Justin Trudeau-led government had said that staff had been reduced to “effectively manage in-country operations.” In September 2023, India had temporarily suspended visa services to Canadian citizens amid a diplomatic standoff. There were speculations at the time about Canada retaliating with a similar visa suspension.