After diplomatic showdown, India suspends visa services in Canada
India and Canada are embroiled in a diplomatic row over the June killing of a prominent Khalistani leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
In a series of flip-flops, a private agency hired by India to carry out initial scrutiny of visa applications of Canadians on Thursday put out a note on its website on suspension of visa services due to "operational reasons", withdrew it within hours and then again put it back online.
The agency, BLS International, also informed the stock exchanges that it had suspended India visa services in Canada with immediate effect.
The note put on the Canada page of the firm's website, which was withdrawn and restored later, read, "Important notice from Indian mission. Due to operational reasons, with effect from September 21, 2023, Indian visa services have been suspended till further notice. Please keep checking BLS website for further updates." BLS International Services Limited, a listed company, also said in its stock exchange filing that the impact of this move is negligible on its financials as "the Canadian visa issuance business contributes less than two percent to BLS Internationals' total annual revenue".
India and Canada are embroiled in a diplomatic row over the killing of a Khalistani separatist leader The row erupted following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of a Khalistani separatist in Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June.
(With agency inputs)
