Nijjar killing row: ‘Avoid going to J-K’, Canada updates travel advisory
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- September 20, 2023
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India-Canada News: The expulsion of senior diplomats by India and Canada over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar worsened bilateral ties between the two nations. The Canadian government even issued a travel advisory, asking its citizens to ‘exercise a high degree of caution’.
In its travel advisory for India, the Canadian government said, “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 traveling to or within the Union Territory of Ladakh. Avoid gatherings and demonstrations,” the government said as quoted by ANI.
The advisory was updated after Canadian PM Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday that Ottawa wants New Delhi to address the issue properly. He added, however, that his country wasn’t trying to provoke India by any means.
“We are not looking to provoke or escalate. We are simply laying out the facts as we understand them. The government of India needs to take this matter with the utmost seriousness. We are doing that,” Trudeau told media persons.
“As for Canada, I said yesterday…we are going to remain calm, we are going to remain grounded in our democratic principles and values…. and we are going to follow the evidence and make sure the work is done,” he added.
Nijjar, who was wanted in India, was gunned down outside a Gurdwara, in a parking area in Canada’s Surrey, British Columbia on June 18.
Trudeau has expelled a top Indian diplomat as he accused the Indian government agents of killing Khalistan supporter Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June this year.
However, India has rejected allegations by Canada. “We have seen and rejected the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.
In a tit-for-tat move, India also instructed a senior Canadian diplomat to leave the nation in five days. It was customary for India to reciprocate the expulsion of a Canadian diplomat with a reciprocal move.
India called upon Canadian Ambassador Cameron MacKay to convey its decision to expel the “senior Canadian diplomat”. This action was taken in direct response to Ottawa’s expulsion of an Indian official in connection with the demise of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
(With ANI inputs)
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Updated: 20 Sep 2023, 07:11 AM IST
