Against the backdrop of a growing diplomatic row between India and Canada, Indian government today announced the indefinite suspension of Indian visa services for Canadian nationals.

Major diplomatic dispute between the two countries flared up last Monday after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged before Parliament that India was involved in the assassination of Indian-Canadian Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June of this year. Indian government officials have strongly denied the accusations.

“Indian high commission and consulates in Canada are temporarily unable to process visa application as work is disrupted due to security reasons,” India‘s foreign ministry spokesperson announced today, adding that the decision was taken after Indian diplomats received threats on social media platforms.

According to the official, Canadian nationals applying for Indian visas in third countries will also be temporarily unable to get their visas processed, as this “at some point will involve operations of our high commission in Canada.”

Indian authorities will be reviewing the suspension on a daily basis, the official said.

BLS International, the private firm that processes Indian visa applications in Canada, announced on its website that effective today, all Indian visa services have been suspended indefinitely “due to operational reasons.”

The visa-processing services suspension, which effectively bans Canadian citizens from obtaining Indian visa, followed yesterday’s advisory from India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) urging Indian nationals and students in Canada to exercise caution due to alleged anti-India activities and “politically-condoned hate crimes.”

For its part, the Canadian High Commission in India has also announced it would “temporarily adjust staff presence” in the country following alleged “security threats” to diplomats.

“In light of the current environment where tensions have heightened, we are taking action to ensure the safety of our diplomats. With some diplomats having received threats on various social media platforms, Global Affairs Canada is assessing its staff complement in India. As a result, and out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to temporarily adjust staff presence in India,” the diplomatic mission said in statement issued today, adding that the High Commission and all consulates in India are “open and operational and continue to serve clients.”

Canada has requested additional security around its missions, including the High Commission in New Delhi and consulates in Mumbai, Chandigarh, and Bengaluru. India has also asked for more security at its High Commission in Ottawa and consulates in Toronto and Vancouver.