What's new

India angry over visa row, warns Canada of retaliation

Zaheerul Hassan

FULL MEMBER
Joined
Jun 17, 2009
Messages
217
Reaction score
0
Country
Pakistan
Location
Pakistan
Hindustan Times reported , view of Canada denying visa to Indian army officers, the Home Ministry has written to the External Affairs Ministry, asking it to take up the issue strongly with the Canadian High Commission.

The Home Ministry wants the Canadian High Commission to apologise, withdraw the comments and take action against the officers responsible for such behaviour.

Canada denied visas to a member of the Armed Forces Tribunal, three serving Brigadiers, a retired Lt General and a former senior IB official on the grounds that their organisations have been engaging in violence.

A serving Intelligence Bureau officer, assigned to travel to Toronto in connection with the Prime Minister’s trip there next month, was also denied visa recently but was later allowed to travel after protest from India.

The denial of visas, over the last two years, has angered the Home Ministry which has warned that India would also “retaliate” by denying visas to Canadian officials who go to Afghanistan via this country.

Lt Gen (retd) A S Bahia, a decorated Indian military officer who is now a member of the Armed Forces Tribunal in Chandigarh, was refused visa in May this year, contending that he had served in a “sensitive location” of Jammu and Kashmir.

Bahia, who retired as the Quarter Master General (QMG) on April 30, 2006, told PTI over phone that he had brought the matter to the notice of appropriate authorities.

In another revelation, two Brigadiers were denied visas in 2008 and another in 2009. A retired Lt General R N Bhatia was also refused visa in 2008 on the similar grounds.

S S Sidhu, a retired IB officer, was denied visa on March 26 this year, with the Canadian High Commission saying that he belonged to the “inadmissible” category of persons.

The rejection letter said he could not be given visa as he had served in an organisation like IB and that led to apprehension that he could “engage in an act of espionage or subversion”, or “violence that would or might endanger the lives or safety of persons in Canada.”

Sidhu termed it as a “disgusting reply from a friendly country like Canada and an insult to India.”
He said he wanted to go to Canada just to see the new house of his daughter.

These revelations came four days after a case of denial of visa to a retired BSF constable came to light. He had been refused visa on similar grounds.

:victory::chilli:
 
Actually, it's called diplomacy.

The first case happened in Dec. The second in March. The issue is being highlighted in the Indian media a few weeks before MMS visits Canada. Doesn't take a genius to figure out what's going on here.
 
My understanding is- There are applications for immigration from 2004 pending. canada had shortlisted them on the points system valid then, so they are eligible, However there are no Jobs in canada and there is already lot of anger among people that lot of "oldies" come over on skilled visas. There is only demand of Plumber/ carpenter and hard labour jobs. However yeh Fauji etc they want to go there after selling their properties in India and enroll themselves in Employment exchange. There purpose is that they can get their kids get educated there at almost very little cost, and then at 60 they apply for subsistence allowance, They become liability to the country.

Hence some immigration officers come up with all the counter tricks to deny the Visa.
 
^^ remember these guys are still eligible for fat pension from Govt of India.
 
Back
Top Bottom