New Delhi, May 27
The denial of visas to several serving and retired officials of Indian security agencies by Canada is turning into a major row between India and Canada ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Toronto for the G-20 Summit in June.

Despite public outrage in India over Canada’s action, the Canadian High Commission here refused to comment on the controversy today. All attempts to contact the spokesperson of the Canadian mission also went in vain as he has not been taking any calls on his mobile since yesterday.

Both the Home Ministry and the External affairs Ministry have taken a strong view of Canada refusing to grant visas to the Indian nationals, who have been associated with Indian security agencies.

Somewhat shocking for New Delhi is the fact the Canadian mission sought to deny visa to a deputy director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) who was to visit as part of the advance team for the PM’s visit for the G-20 meet. He was later granted visa after the Canadian High Commissioner was summoned to the foreign office and conveyed India’s displeasure.

With political parties also slamming Canada for its action, the issue could generate intense heat in the coming days if the Canadian authorities did not show any change in their attitude. The Home Ministry is believed to have given a week’s time to Canada to take corrective action.

India has alleged discrimination and the foreign ministry says the number of officers denied visa by Canada is now in double digits. The grounds for denial have ranged from human rights violation to terrorism and the Home Ministry has expressed strong objection.

Emphasising that it was the prerogative of any foreign mission to decide on a visa application, official sources, however, stated that the denial of visas by Canada to Indian officials linked with security agencies clearly reflected that it was questioning the very fabric of the institutions established by Parliament in India. ‘’We are taking up the matter very seriously…the Canadian High Commissioner was called in yesterday. If necessary, we will not hesitate to summon him again.’’

On whether the development could cast a shadow on the PM’s visit to Canada, the sources replied in the negative, saying Manmohan Singh was going there for a multilateral event.

More and more cases are now emerging of officers having been denied visas by Canada. The number could run into double digits. These include three serving Brigadiers and two retired Lt Generals on the ground that they had served in Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, Home Secretary G K Pillai was quoted as saying that the Home Ministry had written to the foreign office to take up the matter again with the Canadian High Commission. ‘’If the Canadians don’t respond, we will retaliate,’’ he said, without specifying what the retaliatory measures could be.

Reports suggest that the Home Ministry wants the Canadian mission to apologise, take back the comments make against Indian security agencies and initiate action against the officials responsible for denying visas to Indian nationals on extraneous grounds. New Delhi could also retaliate by denying visas to Canadian nationals who travel to Afghanistan through India.

Congress spokesman Manish Tiwari said his party disapproved of Canada’s action.

The Indians who have been denied visas were not working for any vigilant or illegal group but for the organisations constituted by an act of Parliament.

Patiala, May 27
Canada has been denying visas to Indian nationals on outrageous grounds. After the recent case of a BSF trooper and a couple of senior Army officers, who had to face rejection by the Canadian Embassy authorities, it has now come to light that SSP Patiala, Ranbir Singh Khattra was also denied the ‘Maple country’ visa, not once but twice.

In the year 2008, Khattra, a decorated police officer, who was SSP Mohali then, had sought visa for a personal visit to Canada. But he was denied it. In 2009, the cop had to face rejection once again and even miss the 2009 World Police and Fire Games that were held in British Columbia, Canada.

The reasons cited for visa denial on both occasions were frivolous. The Canadian Embassy said Khattra was posted as SSP in areas around Amritsar ---Taran Taran, Mansa and Batala --- during the counter- insurgency operations in Punjab. The letter signed by Canadian Embassy Vice Counsel Sharon Hogan stated that “there is reasonable grounds to believe that Khattra must be fully aware of the widespread, systematic extra-judicial killings and human rights violations by the Punjab Police during the operations but he did not intervene to stop them.”

“You are at the very least willfully blind to the crime against humanity committed by the Punjab Police in Amritsar district. During the investigation, arrest and interrogation, while your posting, you may have been directly involved or at the very least help the increase the effectiveness of the Punjab Police in Amritsar district at the time when a large number of police forces in the area was involved in commission of crime against humanity,” reads the letter.

The communiqué further stated that Canadian Embassy was concerned over the positions Khattra occupied with the Punjab police. “Also, the government made little progress for holding hundreds of police and security officials accountable for serious human rights abuses committed during the counter-insurgency operations in Punjab despite the presence of Special Investigating Commission”, it says.

In 2009, Khattra, who was posted as AIG, Crime against Women Cell, Police Headquarters, and had been the runners-up in the All India Police Golf Tournament, again applied for visa as member of a participating team for World Police Games. But he has denied it once again. The Canadian Embassy stated that the reasons for the denial have already been communicated to Khattra earlier.

Talking to The Tribune, Khattra, recipient of Police Medal for Gallantry Award by President in 1993, said it may be the prerogative of the Canadian government to give or deny visa but the contents of the letter are very serious. “India is single largest component provider of UN Peace Keeping Forces. This is because we have the best record when it comes to democracy and human rights values,” he said.