MEA Slams Canadian Media Report On Visa Halt Issue

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has dismissed the reports circulating in the Canadian media which claim that issuance of visas are being denied to certain individuals in Canada. MEA reiterated that granting of Indian visas is India’s sovereign right.

“India has the legitimate right to deny visas to those who undermine the territorial integrity,” said Randhir Jaiswal, MEA spokesperson, during the weekly briefing.

In the past, a Canadian report claimed that India had been denying visas to pro-Khalistani people unless they explicitly denounced any support for separatism. A recent Canadian media report also alleged that India is using the denial of visas to Khalistani Canadians as a tool to suppress dissent and silence critics by using grant of Visa as a tool.

The report published by the Canada based Global News, which quotes the interviews of the Canadian Sikhs who claim that Indian consular officials are leveraging travel visas as a means of silencing pro-Khalistani voices. ‘Indian diplomats are requiring Khalistani applicants to submit letter renouncing the Khalistan movement as part of the visa application process,’ says the report.

Bikramjit Singh Sandhar, a prominent Khalistani separatist and former president of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurudwara in Surrey, British Columbia has also been featured in the in the Global News report. Sandhar’s gurdwara was the site of the 2023 assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, another Khalistani separatist, who has since led to tensions between India and Canada.

Jaiswal also expressed condolences for three students who have been murdered in Canada.

“We have seen media reports about this. It is yet another example of Canadian media’s disinformation campaign to malign India. The commentary that we see in the Canadian media on this matter is akin to foreign interference in India’s sovereign affairs,” adds Jaiswal.

ALSO READ | India Demands Investigation Into Deaths Of 3 Indian Nationals In Canada Amid Diplomatic Standoff