Exercise ‘high degree of caution’ while traveling to India, says recent Canada advisory

“Avoid all travel to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir due to the unpredictable security situation. There is a threat of terrorism, militancy, civil unrest and kidnapping. This advisory excludes travelling to or within the Union Territory of Ladakh,” says Canada in its… pic.twitter.com/AxV7aZ18q3

— ANI (@ANI) September 19, 2023

Tensions between both countries escalated after Canadian PM Justin Trudeau claimed that there was evidence to suggest India’s involvement in the killing of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June. These claims were rejected as “absurd and motivated” by the Ministry of External Affairs, which released a statement saying, “We have seen and rejected the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister.”

“Allegations of Government of India’s involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated. Similar allegations were made by the Canadian Prime Minister to our Prime Minister, and were completely rejected,” the MEA statement said.

India rejects allegations by Canada:https://t.co/KDzCczWNN2 pic.twitter.com/VSDxbefWLw

— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) September 19, 2023

Following Trudeau’s statement, Canada had expelled a high-ranking diplomat on Monday. And in a similar action, the Indian government on Tuesday expelled a senior Canadian diplomat.

In a statement, Ministry of External Affairs said that the concerned diplomat has been asked to leave India within the next five days. “The decision reflects Government of India’s growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti India activities,” the statement read.

Nijjar, head of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Sahib in Surrey, Canada, was killed in June this year. He was the chief of the separatist organisation Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). Nijjar, who was 46, was shot dead by two unidentified men on the premises of the gurdwara.