Canada denies entry to ex-CRPF officer

THE CANADIAN authorities said that Tejinder Singh Dhillon had served the CRPF which it said had “committed widespread and systemic human rights abuses”.

Canada has reportedly denied entry to a former CRPF officer from Punjab stating that the paramilitary force had “committed widespread and systemic human rights abuses.” India has taken up the issue with Canadian authorities.

New Delhi has grown increasingly worried over the clout, separatist hardliners — advocating the cause of “Khalistan” — have over the Canadian government. These hardliners are Canadian nationals.

“We have seen the news reports (from Canada) regarding denial of entry by the Canadian authorities to a senior retired Indian police officer. Such a characterisation of a reputed force like the CRPF is completely unacceptable. We have taken up the matter with the government of Canada,” spokesman for the ministry of external affairs Gopal Baglay said on Tuesday.

Media reports from Canada said Tejinder Singh Dhillon, who retired as a CRPF IGP in 2010, was denied entry at Vancouver airport as he had served with the force, that according to the Canadians, had “committed widespread and systemic human rights abuses”.

A document given to Mr Dhillon at the airport reportedly said he was a “prescribed senior official in the service of a government that, in the opinion of the minister, engages or has engaged in terrorism, systematic or gross human rights violations, or genocide, a war crime or a crime against humanity”.

According to the media report, this condemnation of India was removed in a second report issued by the Canadian immigration authorities at Vancouver airport who, however, still held he could not be granted entry as he had served with the CRPF, which it accused of “torture, arbitrary detention, murder and sexual assault”.

In a phone conversation from Ludhiana, where Mr Dhillon returned after being denied entry, the former IGP said he had been travelling to Canada for over 30 years and had visited several times as a serving CRPF officer.

He added he had a Canadian visa issued in India valid till 2024.

This is the second such incident recently which India has taken up with Canada. A few days ago, New Delhi had indicated it had taken up the issue of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s attendance at a Sikh community event in Toronto where some separatist elements were felicitated.

“We have taken up such issues in the past with the government of Canada, and in this particular instance, without getting into details, I can tell you the practice has not been discontinued,” the MEA spokesman added.