India resumes e-visa service for Canadians after two-month pause

NEW DELHI: After a pause of two months, the central government has resumed the e-visa service for Canadian citizens. Visa services had been suspended on September 21 amid a diplomatic row over Canada's claims that India is involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, in that country.

All facilities including tourist visa, business and medical visa have resumed. After Nijjar's murder, both countries expelled their diplomatic representatives and warned their citizens.

Canada alleged that Nijjar's killing was with the knowledge of Indian agencies. But India has repeatedly denied that it had any role in it. India has asked Canada to produce evidence and brushed aside claims as baseless allegations. The Ministry of External Affairs had stated that they are not ruling out an investigation into the incident, but it cannot accept allegations without evidence.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries soured after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his allegation of India's involvement in Nijjar's killing was based on clear evidence. Trudeau faced a lot of criticism after this incident, including from his own country.

In June this year, 45-year-old Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed in front of a Gurudwara. Nijjar, who was resting in his car, was shot dead by a two-member group on a bike. Nijjar is a person who immigrated to Canada with his family from India. In 2020, the Indian government declared him a terrorist.