India resumed e-visa services for Canadians after a two-month-long suspension amid the ongoing major diplomatic row between the two countries. This comes as a move towards maybe mending the strained relations between India and Canada.
India earlier suspended visa services after Canada reportedly sheltered and supported Khalistani terrorists on their soil. The row escalated after the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar by unknown men in Canada.
What Caused India-Canada Diplomatic Row?
On November 12, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau alleged India's involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar and called for strict probe in the matter, which then resulted in immediate action from the Indian government sending notices to several Canadian diplomats in India. Further, Trudeau accused New Delhi of violating the Vienna Convention by kicking out 40 diplomats at a time when his country had reached out to the former and other global partners to get to the bottom of the murder.
"From the very beginning when we learned of credible allegations that agents of the Indian government were involved in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil, we reached out to India to ask them to work with us in getting to the bottom of this matter. We also reached out to our friends and allies like the US and others to work on this really serious violation of international law and of the sovereignty of a democracy" Trudeau had said.
"This is something that we are taking very seriously. We will continue to work with all partners as law enforcement and investigative agencies continue to do their work. Canada is a country that will always stand up for the rule of law because if might starts to make right again, if bigger countries can violate international law without consequences, then the whole world gets more dangerous for everyone," he added.
Canadian PM To Attend Virtual G20 Meet
In another move to soften the tensions, this time from Canada's side, PM Justin Trudeau confirmed that he will participate in the virtual G20 Leaders' Summit, hosted by India. The Canadian Prime Minister's office released Trudeau's schedule for Wednesday which consisted of him joining in the meeting virtually.
Trudeau's attendance in the virtual meeting comes amidst a 2-month-long diplomatic standoff between India and Canada. Earlier, the Speaker of the Canadian Senate Raymonde Gagne skipped the Presiding Officers' Summit of Parliaments of G20 nations that began in Delhi on October 12.
