Brampton MP ousted for making ‘dangerous’ accusations
Liberals made decision after Sangha’s comments in Punjabi interview
OTTAWA—The federal Liberals have expelled Brampton Centre MP Ramesh Sangha from caucus, charging him with making “baseless and dangerous accusations against a number of his caucus colleagues.”
A party source confirmed that Sangha was removed after he made extensive comments in a Punjabi-language interview on Jan. 21, in which he said he doubted his fellow Liberal MP Navdeep Bains quit cabinet and won’t run in the next election “because of family.”
Instead, Sangha painted Bains and Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan as harbouring Khalistani “extremist” sentiments, and falsely suggested that “might have put him out in the end.”
In a statement, government whip Mark Holland said he learned late last week of unspecified comments Sangha had made.
He said he consulted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau immediately and “the necessary steps were taken.”
Holland said Sangha was removed from caucus Monday afternoon.
Sangha is a lawyer from Brampton who was first elected in 2015 under new riding boundaries. He is now listed as an Independent MP on the parliamentary website, and did not return the Star’s requests for comment.
While Holland’s statement provided no detail about the remarks Sangha made, a confidential source confirmed that Sangha’s ejection from caucus was a result of his comments in a panel discussion on Y Media, a Canadian-based Punjabi-language outlet, that were first exposed by another Punjabi-language website, Baaznews.
In a story published on Saturday, Baaznews reported that Sangha “parroted debunked Indian media accusations about former minister Navdeep Bains’s departure from politics, including unsubstantiated links to ‘extremism.’”
In an interview, Holland declined to comment on the specifics of what Sangha said or the process that led to his ouster.
“His comments are a matter of record,” said Holland.
“Making baseless allegations and defaming others, let alone members of your own team, let alone members of your own caucus, is totally and utterly unacceptable, has no place in our party, or should have no place in any political party.”
Holland used language similar to that used by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week when Trudeau criticized innuendo directed by Bloc Québécois Yves-Francois Blanchet at another cabinet minister, Omar Alghabra. “We are seeing what happens in the world when we allow people to spread misinformation, when we allow people to lie about others, and when we look the other way when they do it,” Holland said.
The public statement Holland issued said “we will not tolerate conspiracy theories, or dangerous and unfounded rhetoric about Parliamentarians or other Canadians … The Liberal caucus continues to stand firm against racism and intolerance.”
In the Y Media interview that aired Jan. 21, Sangha appears to suggest both Bains and Sajjan sympathize with those who advocate for the creation of an autonomous Sikh state in what is now the Punjab region of India.
“If you declare that you’re an extremist, or Khalistani, and as we have seen to the south of us in America, that leadership with extremist ideas, are they fit to be ministers? I have doubts now,” said Sangha, speaking in Punjabi. “I keep thinking of this. Let’s see what happens going forward. But one thing is for sure, that the extremist point of view might have put him out in the end.”
The Y Media interviewer challenged Sangha about his statements, saying there is no evidence of what he suggests, and says his claims are the product of “rumours” spread by Indian media.
But Sangha insisted, and said he would be happy only after Bains and Sajjan deny having separatist sentiments.
Bains stepped down as the minister of industry, science and innovation in early January, saying he will not to run in the next election because after 17 years in politics, he wants to spend more time with his two children, aged 10 and 13, and allow his wife to return to work.
Bains did not reply to a request for comment.