NEW DELHI: In one serious allegation, Canadian police doubt Indian agents running a parallel mission in cohorts with the notorious Bishnoi gang to eliminate Sikh separatists. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Brigitte Govin alleged in a press conference that India is directly involved in the criminal activities taking place in Canada.

India's Ministry of External Affairs responded that the allegation was absurd and part of the vote bank politics of the Justin Trudeau government.

According to Canadian police, India is targeting the pro-Khalistan factions in Canada and has entered into a pact with the Bishnoi gang to carry out the killings.

Relations between the two countries began to fray after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian government agents of involvement in the killing of Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

The shocking move from the Indian and Canadian governments to expel each other's high commissioners and diplomatic representatives will affect visa applications. Indian students and the business sector are concerned about the impact. Canada recently tightened restrictions on Indian students.

There is concern that air travel and visa procedures will be disrupted if diplomatic relations continue to go south. The Canadian Embassy in Delhi is understaffed due to diplomatic disputes. This will affect visa procedures for Canadian citizens travelling to and from India for educational, tourism and business purposes. Canada has reduced the number of visas issued to Indian nationals compared to previous years.

Earlier this year, Canada reduced the number of international student visas by 35 per cent compared to the previous year. More than 41 per cent of students studying in Canada are from India. It currently takes 4-6 months to get a Canadian visitor visa. With the current diplomatic tensions, the period will see more extension.