India Suspends Visas for Canadians, Escalating Clash Over Sikh’s Killing

India has suspended visa applications by Canadian nationals, a sharp escalation in the diplomatic conflict that has followed Canada’s claim that Indian agents were behind an assassination in June on Canadian soil.

Arindam Bagchi, the Indian foreign ministry spokesman, described the move as a technical and security issue, saying on Thursday that the country’s high commission and consulates in Canada were “temporarily unable” to process visas because of safety threats.

“This has disrupted their normal function,” Mr. Bagchi said during a regularly scheduled news briefing, adding: “We will be reviewing the situation on a regular basis.”

But the suspension came as tensions between India and Canada have soared in the days since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in Parliament that Canada’s intelligence services had information linking the Indian government to the killing of a Sikh separatist in British Columbia on June 18.

Read more: New York Times