Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, February 28
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is standing by a senior government official who floated the theory that “rogue political factions” in the Indian establishment “orchestrated” the embarrassing invitation of a convicted Khalistani separatist to a formal dinner in India to make the Canadian government appear sympathetic to Sikh extremism, the media reported.
The Opposition hit Trudeau hard during question period on Tuesday—his first since his India trip—over how Jaspal Atwal was invited to the reception at the residence of Canadian High Commissioner Nadir Patel in India, the National Post reported.
Atwal was convicted of attempting to assassinate Indian Cabinet minister Malkiat Singh Sidhu in 1986 when he was visiting relatives in Canada. He was also charged—but not convicted—in the 1985 attack on Ujjal Dosanjh, who later became British Columbia premier and a federal Liberal Cabinet minister.
In a background briefing arranged by the Prime Minister’s Office, a senior government official last week suggested that Atwal’s presence “was arranged by factions within the Indian government”.
According to the Canadian media, the official was identified as Trudeau’s National Security Adviser Daniel Jean and the opposition pressed Trudeau to say whether he agreed with Jean’s “conspiracy theory”.
Trudeau responded by saying: “When one of our top diplomats and security officials says something to Canadians, it’s because they know it to be true.” The opposition reasoned that Trudeau must, then, believe that “the Indian government helped sabotage his trip”. Trudeau did not stand up to contradict this interpretation.
Conservative MPs pressed Trudeau to provide evidence to back the assertion. “Before our Prime Minister destroys our relationship with our ally, the government and country of India, will he please tell this House what proof he has of that allegation?” asked Tory MP Candice Bergen.
New Democrat MP Charlie Angus asserted that Atwal—who had been photographed over the years posing with various Liberal MPs, ministers and leaders, including Trudeau himself—turned up on the trip because his presence was “useful” to local Liberals back in Canada.
And he accused Trudeau of using a senior civil servant to “spin a conspiracy theory that somehow the Indian government is trying to make the Liberals look bad.” Atwal was photographed with Trudeau’s wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, and with Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi at a Mumbai event last week, before the Prime Minister’s office said an invitation to a subsequent dinner was flagged and rescinded.
Liberal British Columbia MP Randeep Sarai “took full responsibility” for putting Atwal’s name on a list of prospective invites provided to the High Commission, the Canadian Prime Minister said.
Meanwhile, India on Wednesday said it had nothing to do with the presence of convicted Khalistan terrorist Atwal at the event hosted by the Canadian High Commissioner in Mumbai.
“We have seen the recent exchange in the Parliament of Canada regarding two invitations issued to Jaspal Atwal by the Canadian High Commissioner, for functions hosted in honour of the Canadian Prime Minister in India.
“Let me categorically state that the Government of India, including the security agencies, had nothing to do with the presence of Jaspal Atwal at the event hosted by the Canadian High Commissioner in Mumbai or the invitation issued to him for the Canadian High Commissioner’s reception in New Delhi,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.
He added, “Any suggestion to the contrary is baseless and unacceptable.” Kumar said this in response to a query on the controversy which erupted last week after Atwal was photographed with Trudeau’s wife Sophie Gregoire at the event in Mumbai and then an invite extended to him to the dinner reception at the Canadian High Commissioner’s residence in Delhi.
As the invite for the reception to the convicted Khalistan terrorist triggered a huge controversy in the midst of Trudeau’s visit, Canadian High Commissioner Nadir Patel cancelled the invite to Atwal.
Atwal was a Sikh separatist active in the banned International Sikh Youth Federation when he was convicted for attempting to murder Punjab minister Malkiat Singh Sidhu in Vancouver in 1986.
