Canada reverses additional screening for travelers to India

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Canada rolled back its standard operating procedures for extra screening of travellers flying to India, days after the move was implemented "out of abundance of caution".


The revised measures, that come amid souring ties between India and Canada, mandating that travellers to India will not be subject to extra screening. 


Canada's Transport Minister Anita Anand on Monday, had earlier said that the "temporary additional security screening measures" may cause passengers some delays.


The back-and-forth comes at a time a diplomatic crisis plagues India-Canada ties after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused "agents" of Delhi of being involved" in the killing of Khalistani terrorist and Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing in Vancouver in June last year. He claimed "credible information" had been shared with intelligence partners, including the US.


The Canadian government expelled Indian diplomats and in a tit-for-tat move, New Delhi expelled Canadian Charge d'Affaires Stewart Wheeler and five other diplomats.


"I think it is obvious the Government of India made a fundamental error in thinking they could engage in supporting criminal activity against Canadians, here on Canadian soil. Whether it be murders or extortion or other violent acts, it is absolutely unacceptable," Mr Trudeau said.


Nijjar - the mastermind behind banned terror outfit Khalistan Tiger Force - was on Delhi's list of 'most wanted' terrorists for multiple crimes, including the murder of Hindu priest in Punjab. Anti-terror agency NIA had offered a Rs 10 lakh reward for information leading to his capture.


On Thursday, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said a Canadian report claiming Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aware of the plot to kill Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was a "smear campaign". A day later, the Canadian government called the Globe and Mail report "speculative and inaccurate".


"On October 14th, because of a significant and ongoing threat to public safety, the RCMP and officials took the extraordinary step of making public accusations of serious criminal activity in Canada perpetrated by agents of the Government of India. The Government of Canada has not stated, nor is it aware of the evidence, linking Prime Minister Modi, Minister Jaishankar, or NSA Doval to the serious criminal activity within Canada," the statement read.