Crisis between Canada and India | Ottawa assesses its workforce in India and tightens security

(Ottawa) Concerns for the security of Ottawa’s diplomatic staff in India, freezing of the processing of visa applications from Canadian citizens by New Delhi, increasingly belligerent tone at the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: the diplomatic crisis between Canada and India shows no sign of relaxing.

Although Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reiterated Thursday that his government was not seeking to “cause disputes” or “provoke,” the Modi government does not seem to have finished using reprisals against Canada.

The tension is such that Global Affairs Canada had no choice but to “evaluate[r] its workforce in India”, Canadian diplomats having received “threats on various social media platforms”, indicated Marilyne Guèvremont, spokesperson for the Department, in an email on Thursday.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to temporarily adjust the presence of personnel in India,” she added, declaring that Canada expects New Delhi “to ensure the security of our accredited diplomats and consular officials in India, just as we ensure theirs here.”

The Indian government, meanwhile, has frozen the issuance of visas for Canadians.

“Important notice from the Indian Mission: For operational reasons, effective September 21, 2023, Indian visa services have been suspended until further notice,” read the website of BLS International, a visa provider, on Thursday. Indian services for diplomatic missions.

The day before, the Modi government warned its nationals, particularly its tens of thousands of students, to exercise “the greatest caution” in Canada, due to the “increasing anti-Indian activities” that had been reported.

Because the country has become a refuge for “terrorists”, “extremists” and “criminalized groups”, thundered Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Thursday, denying any involvement by India. in the execution of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar near Vancouver last June.

Intercepted communications?

The Trudeau government has not provided evidence to corroborate the explosive allegations made in the House of Commons on Monday. But according to what the CBC reported on Thursday, Canada would have in its possession communications affecting Canadian diplomats stationed here.

The Indian authorities would not have denied the allegations brought to their attention by the Prime Minister’s national security adviser, Jody Thomas, who held this information intercepted by the Five Eyes network, again according to information from the public broadcaster, that The Press could not confirm.

However, the Canadian Prime Minister did not obtain clear support from the partners of this security and intelligence alliance bringing together the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, in addition to Canada.

Nor at the G20 summit in India – where American President Joe Biden would have raised the subject with Indian leader Narendra Modi, like other Western leaders, wrote Thursday evening the Financial Times – nor at the 78^e session of the United Nations General Assembly, where the Prime Minister spoke to allies about it.

Could it be because India is an economic power that the West does not want to offend? “It is clear that India is a country of increasing importance, and a country with which we must continue to work,” Justin Trudeau said at a press conference in New York on Thursday.

But the Canadian government will continue to stand up to defend the “principles of law” and “the values ​​that we have”, he insisted, ensuring that the decision to bring such serious accusations against New Delhi had “not been taken lightly”.

Canada, which says it wants to calm things down, refuses to come forward with potential retaliatory measures against the government of India. So far, one Canadian diplomat and one Indian diplomat have been expelled from their respective missions.

Canada’s High Commissioner to India, Cameron Mackay, was summoned last Tuesday by New Delhi – it was not possible to know whether Ottawa had summoned India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma.