india issues travel advisory canada

India warns travellers to Canada of 'politically-condoned' violence as diplomatic row worsens

Prime minister trudeau linked death of sikh activist to 'agents of the indian government'.

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Citing concerns about "politically-condoned" hate crimes and violence, India warned its citizens Wednesday to exercise the "utmost caution" when travelling in Canada.

India's new travel advisory for "Indian nationals and Indian students in Canada" warns that "threats have particularly targeted Indian diplomats and sections of the Indian community."

"In view of growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence in Canada, all Indian nationals there and those contemplating travel are urged to exercise utmost caution," the advisory says.

The foreign ministry in New Delhi issued the updated travel advisory Wednesday, just days after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament that Canada's national security apparatus has reason to believe that "agents of the Indian government" carried out the killing of a Canadian citizen at a Sikh temple in British Columbia in June.

"Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar," Trudeau said.

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Nijjar, 45, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, B.C., on June 18. A leader in the Sikh diaspora in Canada, Nijjar had been active in a group supporting the push for an independent Sikh homeland in northern India called Khalistan.

Nijjar had been branded a "terrorist" by the Indian government and accused of leading a militant separatist group — something his supporters have denied.

Indian officials called Trudeau's allegations "absurd" and "unsubstantiated" and summoned Canada's High Commissioner to India to inform him that a senior Canadian diplomat had been kicked out of India and given five days to leave.

The Indian foreign ministry said it will remain in contact with Canadian authorities to ensure the safety of Indian communities in Canada. It warned that "students in particular are advised to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant."

Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Sean Fraser said Wednesday that he would not comment on the specifics of the probe into Nijjar's death because he does not want to compromise any investigations.

He said Canadians should have faith in the security services' ability to investigate the death. "It's important that if we believe in justice ... we believe in the process that gets us there," he said.

"I am sure there are good reasons not to share details that may ground such extraordinary allegations because protecting the process of getting to a just result is extremely important," Fraser said. 

Speaking on his way into the Liberal caucus meeting Wednesday morning, MP Marcus Powlowski, who represents the riding of Thunder Bay—Rainy River, said India's travel advice "sounds like a joke."

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Marc Serré, the Liberal MP for the Northern Ontario riding of Nickel Belt, said India can do what it wants with its travel advisories but Canada has to stand by its citizens.

"There's a lot of individuals here, even in Northern Ontario, Sudbury, the students, they are concerned with the Indian government, they are concerned with what's going on and I think we as Canadians, we have to stand together with them," he said.

Consequences of rising tension with India

While in New York City for the UN General Assembly, Trudeau spoke about India at every bilateral meeting he attended with other world leaders, including EU President Ursula von der Leyen and leaders from Chile, Kenya, Italy and Germany.

Also in New York on Wednesday, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the accusations coming from Canada are "concerning."

"We have been monitoring these developments with partners closely, we will continue to do so, and will confirm that we have raised our concerns with India," she said.

Wong also said that "Australia's principle position is that we believe the sovereignty of all countries should be respected."

with files from The Associated Press

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India on Wednesday advised its citizens to be careful when traveling to Canada as a rift between the two nations widens further in the wake of Ottawa’s allegations that India may have been involved in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in suburban Vancouver.

The foreign ministry in New Delhi issued an updated travel advisory, urging its nationals and especially those studying in the North American country to “exercise utmost caution” because of “growing anti-India activities and politically condoned hate-crimes.”

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Indians should also avoid going to venues in Canada where “threats have particularly targeted Indian diplomats and sections of the Indian community who oppose anti-India agenda,” the ministry said.

Canada earlier advised travellers to “exercise a high degree of caution in India due to the threat of terrorist attacks throughout the country.”

Ottawa and New Delhi, two key strategic partners on security and trade, are locked in a diplomatic tussle after Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, alleged that India was connected to the assassination of Sikh independence advocate on its soil in June.

Canada has yet to provide any evidence publicly of Indian involvement in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a 45-year-old Sikh leader killed by masked gunmen in Surrey, outside Vancouver.

In an editorial, The Indian Express has accused Trudeau of “toxic domestic politics” while noting that “Canada is a lone exception to India’s growing ties with the Anglosphere.” Meanwhile, Times of India, echoed a common refrain in its editorial that “there’s a world of difference between allegation and evidence.”

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Trudeau has said he’s shared evidence with India and spoken with Modi privately in person about it last weekend.

Roland Paris, who leads the University of Ottawa graduate school of international affairs, says the countries have issued contradicting statements, making it difficult to find common ground.

Paris says the diplomat chill between is just starting, and it’s unclear whether those tensions will get better or worse as the investigation continues.

“We’re at the early stages of this period of diplomatic tension between the two countries,” he said in an interview.

#ETTrending | For #India , rising extremism within #Canada 's more than 770,000-large #Sikh diaspora has long been a major source of concern, one that has been regularly flagged with Ottawa. But the #JustinTrudeau government's approach on this has been lackadaisical, as his… pic.twitter.com/pAlQ5uZxBI — Economic Times (@EconomicTimes) September 20, 2023

“It will be difficult, now that the Indian government has so publicly dug in their heels and offered a categorical denial of these allegations.”

Paris, a former foreign policy adviser to Trudeau, noted there have been reports that the government went public with the accusation after queries from media and rumours in diaspora communities.

Paris said it’s unclear whether India will retaliate against Canada, such as by blocking trade or delaying visas, and it’s possible Ottawa might take similar steps against India.

But he noted India and Canada typically think of themselves as friends, despite long-standing tensions over Sikh separatists.

“I don’t anticipate a lot of movement unless more information comes to light,” Paris said.“It looks like they were really trying to work back channels and use behind-the-scenes diplomacy to produce results directly with the Indians, and with the help of close Canadian allies. That clearly didn’t work in the end.”

For years, India has said Nijjar, a Canadian citizen born in India, has links to terrorism, an allegation he denied, saying he was working to organize an unofficial Sikh diaspora referendum on independence from India at the time of his killing.

Advisory for Indian Nationals and Indian Students in Canada: https://t.co/zboZDH83iw pic.twitter.com/7YjzKbZBIK — Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) September 20, 2023

Trudeau’s announcement was followed by Canada expelling an Indian diplomat in Ottawa. New Delhi responded by rejecting Trudeau’s accusation as “absurd and motivated” and later expelling a Canadian diplomat.

Indian authorities designated Nijjar a terrorist in 2020 and accused him of supporting demands for an independent Sikh homeland, known as Khalistan, that started as an insurgency in India’s Punjab state in 1970s and 1980s and was crushed in an Indian government crackdown.

The movement has since lost much of its political power but still has supporters in Punjab, where Sikhs are in a majority, as well as among the sizable overseas Sikh diaspora.

India’s foreign ministry also said Trudeau’s allegations “seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The ministry regularly issues travel advisories. In September last year, it asked Indian citizens to remain cautious while traveling in Canada because of “sharp increase in incidents of hate crimes, sectarian violence and anti-India activities” there.

The modern Sikh independence movement reaches back to the 1940s but eventually morphed into the 1970s and 1980s insurgency. In 1984, then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered a raid to capture armed separatists taking refuge in Sikhism’s holiest shrine.

The raid killed hundreds of people, and two of Gandhi’s Sikh bodyguards assassinated her shortly after. In response, anti-Sikh riots took place across India in which members of the minority were dragged out of their homes and killed.

And though the insurgency was suppressed long ago, the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has warned repeatedly that Sikh separatists were trying to make a comeback. Modi’s government has been asking several countries — including Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom — to take legal action against Sikh separatists.

India has also for years accused Canada of giving free rein to Sikh separatists, including Nijjar.

The dueling expulsions of diplomats have escalated tensions — Trudeau had frosty encounters with Modi during this month’s Group of 20 meeting in New Delhi, and a few days later Canada canceled a trade mission to India planned for the fall.

Additional reporting from National Post and Dylan Robertson of Canadian Press

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Travel advisory: India urges citizens, international students to be 'cautious' in Canada

The government of India is advising Indian nationals and students living in Canada to be cautious amid what it calls "growing anti-India activities" in the country.

The travel advisory is the latest development in rising tensions between the two countries following allegations from Ottawa that India's government may have been involved in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader. 

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In its advisory, the Indian government warned its citizens of what it described as "growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence."

“Given the deteriorating security environment in Canada, Indian students in particular are advised to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant,” read the statement.

The relations between Canada and India have been on a decline since a Sikh separatist activist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was killed on Canadian soil in June. Nijjar was gunned down by two masked men in the parking lot of a Sikh temple in Surrey, B.C., where he served as president.

• International student flows could be affected by India tension: expert

The case remains under investigation by B.C.'s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged India to investigate allegations that New Delhi was involved in the assassination .

India fired back, through a statement, that the allegations were "absurd and motivated."

Besides denying any connection to Nijjar's death, allegations which Trudeau has described as credible, the South Asian country said Canada was trying to shift the focus from Sikh independence, or Khalistan, movement , which is banned in India but has support among the Sikh diaspora.

The travel advisory followed a day after barbs were traded, with India alleging hate crimes and that "recently, threats have particularly targeted Indian diplomats and sections of the Indian community who oppose the anti-India agenda."

All Indian citizens and students in Canada were advised by the Indian government to register in the diplomatic offices in Ottawa, Toronto or Vancouver “in the event of any emergency or untoward incident,” read the country’s press release.

On Monday, Global Affairs Canada updated its Travel Advice and Advisories (TAA) to India, but told CTVNews.ca the update was unrelated to the allegations and fallout surrounding Nijjar's death.

A travel advisory, which has been in place for some time in Canada for those heading to India, states that visitors should “exercise a high degree of caution in India due to the threat of terrorist attacks throughout the country.”

The advisory says to avoid non-essential travel to Assam and Manipur states due to “the risk of terrorism and insurgency," as well as to avoid all travel to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir due to the “unpredictable security situation.”

“No new risk information has been added to the India TAA page,” a spokesperson said Tuesday, adding that any changes were part of a pre-scheduled and routine maintenance in the section on travel health.

With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press.

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India issues travel advisory against trips to Canada amid diplomatic row

Khalistan group issues threats demanding hindu indians leave canada as indian media organisations misrepresent canada’s travel advisory update to india, article bookmarked.

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India has issued a travel warning to its nationals visiting Canada a day after several media outlets falsely reported that the latter had updated its own travel advisory in the wake of simmering diplomatic tensions.

Tensions between India and Canada hit a new high after prime minister Justin Trudeau went public with his announcement that Ottawa was probing “credible allegations” about the potential role of Indian government agents in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June .

New Delhi dubbed the allegations to be “ absurd and motivated ” and on Wednesday, the Indian foreign ministry warned its nationals living in Canada and those visiting to exercise caution due to “growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes”.

“Recently, threats have particularly targeted Indian diplomats and sections of the Indian community who oppose the anti-India agenda,” it said.

“Indian nationals are therefore advised to avoid travelling to regions and potential venues in Canada that have seen such incidents.”

• Sikh separatism long strained Canada-India ties. Now it's sunk them to their lowest point in years
• Canada tried to get Five Eyes allies to agree joint condemnation of India over Sikh leader’s killing – report
• Canada’s Indian diaspora caught in crossfire as diplomatic relations ‘spiral out of control’

Shortly after Mr Trudeau’s Monday announcement, Canada booted an unnamed Indian diplomat identified as the senior intelligence officer, while India expelled one of Canada’s most senior diplomats in a furious tit-for-tat move .

The diplomatic row which has escalated following Mr Trudeau’s surprise announcement is being closely followed by the public, with Indian media outlets presenting rolling coverage of updates.

On Tuesday, a number of Indian newspapers and broadcasters, including some of the major ones, falsely reported that Canada had updated its travel advisory asking citizens to “exercise a high degree of caution” while travelling to India.

However, according to the Canadian government’s advisory, the update on Monday was only in the “health section” .

But as the update came on the day Mr Trudeau made his explosive allegations in parliament, pointers that had remained unchanged for more than a year were widely flagged to be new along with misleading headlines by Indian news media organisations.

Broadcaster Times Now issued a clarification, saying their report on Canada’s travel advisory was an “inadvertent error on part of the journalist”.

“*CLARIFICATION*- There was an update on the travel advisory to India from Canada’s side. It had added to the section on health. Warning about zika, measles and covid. However the headline said exercise extreme caution while travelling to India,” Times Now said on X.

“Many channels and websites including us were misled by this headline and had gone on to report this. Some even before us. It was an inadvertent error on part of the journalist covering the development,” it said.

India’s own travel advisory, however, comes after members of the Sikh community associated with the Khalistan movement, that demands a separate homeland for Sikhs carved out of India, called on Indian Hindus to leave Canada.

Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a pro-Khalistan organisation banned in India in 2019 that Nijjar has been linked with , launched a campaign “Indo Hindus Leave Canada” and released videos threatening Hindus of Indian origin for supporting New Delhi.

It warned Indians against “promoting violence” by celebrating Nijjar’s killing.

“Indo-Hindu leave Canada; go to India. You not only support India but you are also supporting the suppression of speech and expression of pro-Khalistan Sikhs,” said SFJ’s legal counsel Gurpatwant Pannun, who is wanted in India and designated as a terrorist, in a video.

Vijay Jain, a spokesperson for Canadian Hindus for Harmony, said the row has threatened the life of Hindus in Canada.

“We are now seeing full-scale Hinduphobia out across the board,” he said.

“We are worried that this may translate into the loss of Canadian Hindu lives as in 1985,” he said in reference to the bombing of Air India flight from Canada to England that killed 329 people aboard.

The Indian foreign ministry urged its nationals to register with the Indian High Commission in Ottawa and remain on alert.

“Given the deteriorating security environment in Canada, Indian students in particular are advised to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant,” it said.

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Ottawa calls for calm after India issues travel advisory

This article was published more than 6 months ago. Some information may no longer be current.

Traffic passes a sign to Canada's High Commission in New Delhi, India on September 20, 2023. Relations between India and Canada entered the deep freeze this week after Ottawa accused New Delhi of being involved in the killing of a Sikh leader in British Columbia. James Griffiths/The Globe and Mail

Canada’s Immigration Minister sought to reassure Indian nationals on Wednesday that it is safe to travel to this country even as a leader of the Sikh separatist movement makes plans for rallies in Canadian cities on Monday that seek the closing of New Delhi’s diplomatic missions here.

In the aftermath of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s assertion that agents of the Indian government were involved in the June 18 killing of a Sikh leader in British Columbia, India warned its citizens Wednesday to exercise the “utmost caution” when travelling in Canada.

An advisory from India’s External Affairs department warned of “growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence.”

In particular, it urged students to “exercise extreme caution.” India is the largest source of international students to Canada, with Indians making up about 40 per cent of all overseas students.

In response to India’s travel advisory, Immigration Minister Marc Miller urged calm, telling reporters that “everyone knows how safe Canada is.”

“Look, I think everyone knows Canada is a safe country and given the events of the last two or three days and the seriousness of the allegations that – it’s important for everyone to stay calm,” he said. “Canada by any standard is one of the safest if not the safest country in the world that is governed by the rule of law. So, I think people should read that statement for what it is.”

He acknowledged that Canadian allegations of India’s involvement in the gangland-style shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who had advocated for a Sikh homeland in the Indian state of Punjab, have heightened tensions with the Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Given what the Prime Minister has said quite clearly to Prime Minister Modi, the allegations are very serious, and these are discussions that have to continue with India,” he said. “At the same time, emotions are running high and we’ve asked everyone just to stay calm given the seriousness of the allegations.”

Politicians across the spectrum in India have criticized Mr. Trudeau, who also attracted condemnation and ridicule in the Indian media.

“Trudeau’s defense of declared terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar is absolutely shameful,” Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a senior lawmaker with the opposition Congress party, wrote on social media. He accused the Canadian government of being “in bed” with people who seek the creation of an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan .

Manjinder Singh Sirsa, national secretary of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), told The Globe and Mail he had been “surprised and shocked” by Mr. Trudeau’s allegations.

“How can a prime minister get up in Parliament and make such an accusation without evidence?” he said. “If they had any evidence they should have arrested those involved, not say it could be or could not be with no clarity.”

Canada has “done the unthinkable,” and managed to find an issue that unites opposition parties and the BJP, said Harsh Pant, vice-president of the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi think tank.

The killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar: A timeline of events

India kicks out Canadian diplomat after Trudeau says New Delhi was involved in the killing of Sikh activist in B.C.

Campbell Clark: After Trudeau reveals an explosive allegation, both Ottawa and New Delhi are doubling down

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who heads Sikhs for Justice and was Mr. Nijjar’s New York-based lawyer, has called for Sikhs to rally outside India’s High Commission in Ottawa as well as consulates across Canada on Monday. Mr. Nijjar worked with Mr. Pannun on a non-binding international referendum the group is conducting among the global Sikh diaspora on whether the northern Indian state of Punjab should secede.

A day after Mr. Trudeau accused India of being responsible for the slaying of Mr. Nijjar, Mr. Pannun’s secessionist Sikhs for Justice group launched what it called a “Death to India – Balkanize” campaign that he said will call for the shutdown of India’s embassy in Ottawa and the expulsion of Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma. One poster produced by Mr. Pannun calls India’s missions in Canada “terror houses.”

Mr. Pannun explained that the phrase “Death to India – Balkanize” refers to his group’s desire to see the Indian state of Punjab break off from India and form its own country.

He said this group does not incite or promote violence. “Pro-Khalistan Sikhs are fighting India’s violence with votes and fighting Indian bullets with [a] ballot,” he said, referring to the referendum.

In an editorial Wednesday, The Hindu newspaper said the crisis “marks a new low” in Canada-India relations. It urged Mr. Trudeau to “publicly prove his very serious allegations, or admit he is unable to.”

“Unlike with Pakistan, where such allegations, name-calling and public confrontation have become routine, it is worth remembering that Canada is a part of the western NATO alliance, and home to Indians and Indian-origin Canadians, and the impact of the rupture will be felt wider,” the paper said.

Mr. Trudeau’s allegations led newspaper front pages and TV broadcasts, with many outlets not being anywhere near as respectful as The Hindu. Many commentators pointed to the Liberals’ poor showing in polls and accused Mr. Trudeau of pandering to Sikh voters.

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister said he had been “simply laying out the facts as we understand them.” Mr. Trudeau urged New Delhi to “take this matter with the utmost seriousness,” while adding he did not want to further escalate tensions with India.

Before going public with its claims, Ottawa briefed Washington and a number of other key allies, but so far, they have taken a cautious approach by expressing concern, but not condemning India.

The White House is “deeply concerned” about allegations that Indian agents were potentially involved in the murder of a Sikh leader in British Columbia earlier this year and encourages India officials to co-operate in any investigation, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday.

But Mr. Kirby also stressed the importance of India to the United States.

“I can just tell you that our relationship with India remains vitally important not only for the South Asian region but of course for the Indo-Pacific,” Mr. Kirby told reporters.

With a report from Reuters

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Canada rejects Indian travel advisory amid probe of Sikh leader killing

Canada is investigating possible links between the killing of a Sikh leader and India’s government, tanking relations.

Canada has flatly rejected an Indian travel advisory urging “utmost caution” when visiting the North American country, in the latest sign of escalating tensions.

On Wednesday, Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc responded to the travel alert shortly after it was announced, telling reporters, “Canada is a safe country.”

Keep reading

India arrests more than 100 people in manhunt for sikh separatist, sikh separatist amritpal singh arrested in india after manhunt, canada investigating possible link between india, killing of sikh activist.

Canada likewise updated its travel information this week, warning travellers to exercise a “high degree of caution” when stopping in India due to the “threat of terrorist attacks”.

The tit-for-tat over travel advisories comes in the midst of an ongoing political row between Canada and India.

On Monday, tensions skyrocketed when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced officials were probing “credible allegations of a potential link” between Indian government agents and the June killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

India’s foreign ministry did not directly reference Trudeau’s remarks in its advisory on Wednesday. Instead, it said in a statement that New Delhi was concerned for the safety of its citizens in Canada due to “politically condoned hate crimes and criminal violence”.

“Threats have particularly targeted Indian diplomats and sections of the Indian community who oppose the anti-India agenda,” a ministry statement said. “Indian nationals are therefore advised to avoid travelling to regions and potential venues in Canada that have seen such incidents.”

Trudeau’s announcement of the investigation — made in dramatic fashion before Canada’s House of Commons — inflamed long-running tensions between Ottawa and New Delhi over the advocacy of Sikhs in Canada who support the creation of an independent Sikh state in India.

Sikh advocates have said they have faced persecution, surveillance and regular threats under the government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while New Delhi has regularly accused the separatist movement of plotting violence.

‘Stay at home’

India has forcefully rejected any involvement in Nijjar’s killing, calling the suggestion “absurd”.

Two masked assailants fatally shot the activist and business owner as he left a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, Nijjar’s 21-year-old son Balraj Singh Nijjar said his father had been meeting regularly with Canadian Security Intelligence Service officers to discuss threats to his life.

The younger Nijjar remembered he attended one meeting where his father was advised to “stay at home”.

In media interviews, family friends said that the late Nijjar peacefully supported the Sikh separatist movement and exercised his right to free speech in Canada.

“We need to put pressure on India. You can’t just come to a foreign country and kill a citizen who’s speaking against you,” his son said. “That’s like saying someone from Quebec wants a separate country and Canada kills them. That’s just silencing the matter, but it’s not right.”

Crumbling relations

According to media reports, however, Indian authorities had designated Nijjar a “terrorist” in 2020 and sought his arrest for an alleged conspiracy to commit murder.

Nijjar had denied those charges, according to the World Sikh Organization of Canada.

But India has long criticised Canada for harbouring those it considers Sikh “terrorists and extremists”.

That acrimony was on full display when Trudeau visited New Delhi earlier this month for the Group of 20 (G20) summit.

During a brief sideline meeting at the event, Modi confronted Trudeau over Sikh-led protests in Canada, one of which involved a parade float depicting a controversial assassination from Indian history.

In a statement at the time, New Delhi said the protesters were “promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises and threatening the Indian community in Canada”.

The North American country has the largest Sikh population in the world outside of India.

US denies downplaying

For his part, Trudeau said he had informed Modi during their G20 meeting of the investigation into Nijjar’s killing and possible links to the Indian government.

While Ottawa has not released the evidence behind its investigation, Trudeau has doubled down on his choice to go public with the probe. He said on Tuesday the decision came after months of deliberation and consultation with allies.

The situation has put several of those allies, including the United States, United Kingdom and Australia, in an uncomfortable position . All three have sought to bolster ties with India in recent years.

Both Washington and Canberra have said they were “deeply concerned” by the revelations, and London explained it was “in close touch” with Canadian authorities.

On Wednesday, White House National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson pushed back on the notion Washington was seeking to downplay the situation or avoid condemning India.

“Reports that we rebuffed Canada in any way on this are flatly false,” she wrote on X, the website formerly known as Twitter.

“We are coordinating and consulting with Canada closely on this issue. This is a serious matter and we support Canada’s ongoing law enforcement efforts. We are also engaging the Indian government.”

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India issues travel advisory for Indian nationals and students in Canada

India issues advisory for Indian nationals in Canada to exercise caution due to anti-India activities and hate crimes.

India on Wednesday told its citizens to avoid travelling to parts of Canada, following a diplomatic row sparked by the allegation that New Delhi was involved in the killing of a Sikh separatist near Vancouver.

"Threats have particularly targeted Indian diplomats and sections of the Indian community who oppose the anti-India agenda," a foreign ministry statement said, advising citizens to "avoid travelling to regions and potential venues in Canada that have seen such incidents".

​"In view of growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence in Canada, all Indian nationals there and those contemplating travel are urged to exercise utmost caution. Recently, threats have particularly targeted Indian diplomats and sections of the Indian community who oppose the anti-India agenda. Indian nationals are therefore advised to avoid travelling to regions and potential venues in Canada that have seen such incidents": Ministry of External Affairs.

Also Read: India-Canada News LIVE Updates

Indian students in Canada have been particularly advised to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant.

Indian nationals and students in Canada must also register with the High Commission of India in Ottawa or the Consulates General of India in Toronto and Vancouver through their respective websites or the MADAD portal madad.gov.in. Registration would enable the High Commission and the Consulates General to better connect with Indian citizens in Canada in the event of any emergency or untoward incident, as per the MEA

This comes amid growing tensions between India, Canada after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday accused the Indian government of being behind the fatal shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Najjar, who was a designated terrorist in India, was gunned down outside a Gurdwara, in a parking area in Canada's Surrey, British Columbia on June 18.

The MEA said in view of growing anti-India activities and politically condoned hate crimes and criminal violence in Canada, all Indian nationals there and those contemplating travel are urged to exercise utmost caution.

*With Agency Inputs

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Canada issues travel advisory for India amid row over Khalistani's killing

Amid tensions with India over the death of a separatist Sikh leader, Canada has issued a travel advisory to its citizens living in India and urged them to observe a high degree of caution.

"Exercise a high degree of caution in India due to the threat of terrorist attacks throughout the country," the advisory read.

This after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged India's involvement in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in Surrey.

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