Canada enhances security screening for passengers to India amid souring ties

Ottawa: As part of new temporary protocols, Canada has stepped up security screening for passengers traveling to India from the country, NDTV reported.

Canada's Transport Minister Anita Anand announced the decision on Monday to subject passengers to extra security screening just as the tension between New Delhi and Ottawa is on the rise.

‘Transport Canada has implemented temporary additional security screening measures,’ for travellers to India, Canadian broadcaster CBC quoted Anand as saying.

The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), responsible for security screening of passengers and their baggage, will implement the decision.

Air Canada asked passengers travelling to Indian destinations to reach at airports at least four hours before scheduled departure and warned of longer security wait times.

A notification by Air Canada to passenger reportedly said that ‘Due to heightened security mandates by Transport Canada for all passengers travelling to India, security wait times are expected to be longer than anticipated for your upcoming flight.’

The notification directed passengers to arrive ‘4 hours prior to your flight's departure’ in order to minimize any disruption to their travel plans.

The decision comes a month after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCPM) claimed that it had evidence of ‘agents’ acting on behalf of Indian government having involved in ‘Organised ‘ crimes such as extortion, intimidation and coercion in the country.

Denying the allegations alongside terming them as ‘simply not true’, India withdrew its High Commissioner in Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma with both countries subsequently expelling each other’s diplomats.

India-Canada ties remain troubled after the North American country accused India of involved in the killing of Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

India has been maintaining that Canada is giving space to pro-Khalistan elements to operate from Canadian soil.