Row over dinner invite to ‘terrorist’ hits Trudeau trip
Redfaced Ottawa rescinds invitation to controversial IndianCanadian businessman Atwal to allay New Delhi’s concerns
NEW DELHI: A fresh controversy hit Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit to India on Thursday after it emerged that a convicted Khalistani terrorist had been invited to an official dinner reception, causing a setback to the Canadian leader’s efforts to reassure New Delhi that his government condemns violent extremism.
Already stung by a perceived snub to Trudeau because of his government’s soft stance on proKhalistan elements, Canadian authorities said the invitation extended to Indo-Canadian businessman Jaspal Atwal for the reception to be hosted by Canadian high commissioner Nadir Patel on Thursday night had been “rescinded”.
Atwal and three other men were convicted of attempted murder for the 1986 attack on Akali Dal leader Malkiat Singh Sidhu, who was visiting relatives on Vancouver Island at the time.
Sidhu, who was then a minister of state in the Punjab government, was injured in the attack and survived. He was later killed by Sikh militants in Punjab in 1991. Trudeau told reporters: “Obviously we take this situation extremely seriously. The individual in question never should have received an invitation and, as soon as we found out, we rescinded the invitation immediately.
“The member of Parliament who included this individual has, and will, assume full responsibility for his actions.”
The Canadian PM’s Office said in a statement that it was “looking into how this occurred”. It added, “That said, it’s important to be clear that this individual (Atwal) is not part of the official delegation to the PM’s visit to India, nor was he invited by the Prime Minister’s Office.”
The external affairs ministry said it was ascertaining from its mission in Ottawa how Atwal got a visa. “Let us not presume things and decide how he managed to come. This is something which we are trying to find out,” ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. Atwal is a former member of the International Sikh Youth Federation, one of the key groups in the movement to establish Khalistan, which was banned by Canada and designated a terror organisation in 2003.
Home ministry officials said Atwal was currently not on a “blacklist” of Khalistani activists and had not done anything illegal by entering the country.
Atwal was also accused of a murderous attack on Ujjal Dosanjh, an Indo-Canadian politician in British Columbia and a vocal critic of the Khalistan movement, in February 1985.
Dosanjh, who was brutally attacked in a parking lot, said he was “flabbergasted” to learn Atwal had been invited to an official dinner.
“I’m left speechless. This speaks volumes about the kind of inroads Khalistanis have made into the Liberal Party of Canada and the echelons of power,” he said.
Atwal was not convicted in the attack on Dosanjh because of a technicality related to his identification. The attack on the Punjab minister occurred almost a year later.
Dosanjh, who went on to become the premier (chief minister) of the province and a federal cabinet minister, said this pointed to a “colossal failure” on part of those conducting security checks for the Trudeau visit.
“This is what I have been saying. This is not about freedom of speech, it is about Canadian politicians openly hobnobbing, associating with unquestionable elements that are Khalistanis,” he said.
PHOTOGRAPHED WITH SOPHIE TRUDEAU
The development raised questions about the visa issued by India to Atwal, and whether he had been removed from the reported “blacklist” of Khalistani leaders as part of the Narendra Modi government’s outreach to Sikh separatists.
The Toronto Sun reported it was shown photos of Atwal with the prime minister’s wife, Sophie Trudeau.
Atwal was also photographed with Canada’s infrastructure minister Amarjeet Sohi and Brampton South Liberal MP Sonia Sidhu at an event in Mumbai.
The Sun was also shown a copy of the official invitation to Atwal.
“His Excellency Nadir Patel, High Commissioner for Canada to India, is pleased to invite Jaspal Atwal to a dinner reception celebrating Canada-India ties on the occasion of the visit of The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada,” the invitation read.