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香蕉视频直播檚 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 be cautious because of 香蕉视频直播済rowing anti-India activities and politically condoned hate-crimes.香蕉视频直播�
Indians should also avoid going to venues in Canada where 香蕉视频直播渢hreats have particularly targeted Indian diplomats and sections of the Indian community who oppose anti-India agenda,香蕉视频直播� the ministry said.
Ottawa and New Delhi, two key strategic partners on security and trade, are locked in a diplomatic tussle after Canada香蕉视频直播檚 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 of Indian involvement in the assassination of killed by masked gunmen in Surrey, outside Vancouver.
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.
Trudeau香蕉视频直播檚 announcement was followed by Canada expelling an Indian diplomat in Ottawa. New Delhi responded by rejecting Trudeau香蕉视频直播檚 accusation as 香蕉视频直播渁bsurd and motivated香蕉视频直播� and later expelling a Canadian diplomat.
Indian authorities designated Nijjar a terrorist in 2020 and accused him of supporting demands for an , known as Khalistan, that started as an insurgency in India香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檚 foreign ministry also said Trudeau香蕉视频直播檚 allegations 香蕉视频直播渟eek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India香蕉视频直播檚 sovereignty and territorial integrity.香蕉视频直播�
The ministry regularly issues travel advisories. In September last year, it asked Indian citizens to remain cautious while traveling in Canada because of 香蕉视频直播渟harp increase in incidents of hate crimes, sectarian violence and anti-India activities香蕉视频直播� 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香蕉视频直播檚 holiest shrine.
The raid killed hundreds of people, and two of Gandhi香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檚 government has been asking several countries 香蕉视频直播� including Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom 香蕉视频直播� to take legal action against Sikh separatists.
India has also for years accused Canada of giving free rein to .
The dueling expulsions of diplomats have escalated tensions 香蕉视频直播� Trudeau had frosty encounters with , and a few days later Canada canceled a trade mission to India planned for the fall.
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