Not lax in giving visas: Canadian minister

New Delhi, May 7

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Canada’s Immigration Minister Marc Miller refuted comments by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the arrest of three Indians allegedly involved in the murder of India-designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

“We are not lax. The Indian Foreign Minister is entitled to his opinion. I’m going to let him speak his mind. It’s just not accurate,” Miller said in an interview with Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC).

Jaishankar had accused the Canadian Government of being welcoming to individuals from India with connections to organised crime despite warnings from New Delhi. He said that a section of pro-Khalistan people had been using Canada’s democracy, creating a lobby and having become a vote bank for the minority government of Justin Trudeau. He went on to claim that some Canadians, with “pro-Pakistan leanings”, had formed a politically influential lobby.

“We have convinced them several times not to give visas, legitimacy or political space to such people, which is causing problems for them (Canada), for us and also for our relationship,” the minister had said. Miller did not confirm reports that three Indian nationals had travelled to Canada on student visas. “Such enquiries should be directed to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,” he said.