India has suspended visa applications for Canadian citizens, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on September 20.
The announcement came hours after Canada's High Commission in India said it would temporarily "adjust" the presence of its staff in the country after some diplomats received threats on social media.
These measures mark a further escalation of tensions between the two countries since Ottawa announced that it was actively investigating accusations deemed credible which link Indian government agents to the murder of a leader of the Sikh community in Canada in June.
“The security situation, due to the inaction of the Canadian government, has led to disruptions and we have suspended visa applications,” Arindam Bagchi told reporters in New Delhi.
BLS International, an Indian company that offers visa services, said the Indian mission's advice to Canada was based on "operational reasons."
Experts believe that relations between the two countries have reached their lowest point.
Both states have issued travel warnings, with India calling on its nationals studying in Canada to exercise "utmost caution."
Canada has the largest population of Sikhs outside of the Indian state of Punjab, with approximately 770,000 people reporting Sikhism as their religion in the 2021 census.
*according to The Canadian Press
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