Canada updates travel advisory to India, urges citizens to avoid visiting J&K, Manipur, Assam

Ottawa, Sep 19 (IANS) On a day when diplomatic relations between India and Canada nosedived over the killing of a Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Canada updated its travel advisory urging citizens to exercise "high degree of caution" while travelling to India citing terrorism threat.

Canada while updating its travel advisory asked its citizens to exercise a high degree of caution in India due to the threat of terrorist attacks throughout the country.

"Avoid non-essential travel to the following states due to the risk of terrorism and insurgency in Assam Manipur," it said.

It also warned its citizen to avoid travel to Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir due to the unpredictable security situation.

"There is a threat of terrorism, militancy, civil unrest and kidnapping," it said, adding, "This advisory excludes travelling to or within the Union Territory of Ladakh."

It also warned its citizens to avoid travel to border areas with Pakistan. “Avoid all travel to areas within 10 km of the border with Pakistan in the states of Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat due to the unpredictable security situation and presence of landmines and unexploded ordnance.”

"This advisory excludes the Wagah border crossing," it said.

Earlier in the day, amid deteriorating diplomatic relations between India and Canada, New Delhi on Tuesday expelled a senior Canadian diplomat based here in a tit for tat move giving similar reply to Canand.

The High Commissioner of Canada to India (Cameron Mackay) received summons on Tuesday during which the Government of India conveyed its decision to expel a senior Canadian diplomat currently stationed in the country.

The concerned diplomat has been officially instructed to depart from India within the next five days, a statement issued by the external affairs ministry said.

"The decision reflects Government of India’s growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities," the statement said.

The decision came after Canada had earlier expelled a high ranking Indian diplomat.

These developments have occurred after Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday in an emergency statement in Parliament accused the Government of India of involvement in the fatal shooting of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Trudeau had said that the Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between Indian government agents and the murder of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June.

India has rejected claims by the Canadian government that it had an involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Terming them as "absurd and motivated", the external affairs ministry in a statement said: "We have seen and reject the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister. Allegations of Government of India's involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated."