New Delhi:
Canada today updated the travel advisory to India amid escalating tension. The advisory mirrors in many ways what the US advises its citizens.
Canadian citizens have earlier been warned against travelling in Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, with special mention of Assam and violence-hit Manipur.
Explicitly mentioning Jammu and Kashmir, the advisory read, “The security situation in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is tense. There are high risks of violent protests, civil unrest and acts of terrorism and militancy”.
“Violent clashes between militants and security forces occur regularly. Terrorist attacks against security forces have led to civilian casualties. Further attacks could take place at any time. You could find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time,” it added.
Regarding the northeast, it said, “Several extremist and insurgent groups are active in the northeastern states of Assam and Manipur. They regularly target local government and security forces and may use various criminal activities to finance their activities. Ethnic tensions in the State can also lead to conflict and civil unrest.
Earlier today, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – who had alleged the involvement of “agents of the Indian government” in the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar — said he was not looking to “provoke” India or “escalate” tension, but wants New Delhi to take the killing of the separatist with “utmost seriousness”.
“We are not looking to provoke or escalate,” Justin Trudeau told reporters today. “We want to work with the government of India to lay everything clear and to ensure there are proper processes,” he had added.
India has rejected Mr Trudeau’s claims. “Allegations of the Government of India’s involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated,” the foreign ministry has said. As the matter escalated, Canada and India each expelled a senior diplomat of the other country.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force and one of India’s most-wanted terrorists, was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen on June 18. He was killed outside a gurdwara in Surrey in the western Canadian province of British Columbia.
