India pauses its visa services to Canadian citizens.
The announcement comes after President Justin Trudeau accused India of using spies to carry out an assassination on Canadian soil.
“Both countries have already expelled each other’s diplomats, it’s pretty tough,” says Elisabet Frerot, foreign affairs commentator on TV4 Nyheterna.
The conflict between Canada and India continues.
This week, Canadian President Justin Trudeau claimed he had received “credible” information that Indian agents were involved in the murder of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead outside Vancouver this summer. The leader had been living in exile in Canada for some time.
“For any foreign government to be involved in the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty,” Trudeau said in a statement.
“Can have major consequences”
Now a new quarrel has flared up between the countries. Elisabet Frerot, foreign commentator on TV4 Nyheterna, describes the relationship as “frosty”.
– The background is a conflict over Sikh independence in the Indian state of Punjab that has raged for decades, she says.
In connection with the information from Trudeau, an Indian diplomat was expelled from Canada. But India has vehemently denied being behind the killing and responded by expelling a Canadian diplomat.
Accuses Canada of harboring terrorists
– If this continues, it could have major consequences. Canada has already paused a free trade agreement worth tens of billions of dollars and now Canadian citizens are stopped from traveling to India, says Elisabet Frerot.
While Hardeep Singh Nijjar was a strong voice for Sikhism, he has been accused in India of having carried out terrorist attacks – something the leader himself denied.
– This causes India to accuse Canada of protecting terrorists, Elisabet Frerot.