India had accused Sandeep Sidhu of promoting Khalistani activities and playing a key role in the murder of Shaurya Chakra awardee Balwinder Singh Sandhu in Punjab in 2020.

Following the discontinuation of the SDS visa programme, students from all 14 countries, including India, will have to undergo more lengthy visa processes.

The revised visa policy could mean a shorter duration of stay and selective entry into Canada; visitors whose visas are nearing expiration now need to rethink their plans for further stay.

“The acts of violence at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton today are unacceptable; every Canadian has the right to practice their faith freely and safely," Mr Trudeau said in his X post.

"We assess that Indian state-sponsored cyber threat actors likely conduct cyber threat activity against Government of Canada networks for the purpose of espionage."

The allegations were first reported by The Washington Post after Canada's Deputy Foreign Minister, David Morrison, confirmed Mr Shah's alleged role in a media leak to the Post.

“The (Washington Post) journalist called me and asked me if it was that person,” the minister said. “I confirmed it was that person.”

“By cancelling their participation, our political leaders have failed to draw a necessary distinction between the Canadian Indian community and the actions of the Indian government," he noted.

A reduction in the number of permanent residents (PR) admitted to Canada on an annual basis and changes to temporary immigration streams are expected.

A per-country cap is meant to prevent the over-representation of one or a handful of very populous countries in Canada.