A convicted Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal, who was active in the banned International Sikh Youth Federation, posed with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife Sophie Trudeau at an event in Mumbai on February 20, during the Canadian first family's visit to India.
Jaspal was also invited for a formal dinner with the Canadian Prime Minister, hosted by the Canadian High Commissioner on Thursday here. Atwal has also been photographed with the Canadian Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Amarjeet Sohi in Mumbai on February 20.
However, the invite is being rescinded now, as per reports of Canada's CBC News.
"I can confirm that the High Commission is in the process of rescinding Mr. Atwal's invitation," PMO spokeswoman Eleanore Catenaro said, as per the report.
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Canada PMO has clarified, however, that Atwal was not part of the Prime Minister's delegation and attended the event as a tourist.
"This individual( Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal) should never have been invited to any event on the program, and his invitation has been rescinded. We are in the process of looking into how this occurred. That said, it's important to be clear that he is not part of official delegation to PM’s visit to India, nor was he invited by the Prime Minister’s Office. As is the case with international trips, individuals sometimes travel on their own to the location of the visit."
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The development also raises concerns on the Indian government, which issued a Visa to Atwal, convicted of an 'act of terror.'
Jaspal Atwal was convicted of the attempted murder of Punjab minister, Malkiat Singh Sidhu, on Vancouver Island in 1986. He reportedly said it was unfair to bring up his criminal conviction given how long ago it was.
Outlook in one of its recent cover stories, Panth And A Foreign Hand, had said that “A new real threat of Khalistani terror, fuelled and funded by foreign gurudwaras patronised by liberal white politicians, has revived memories of a blood-drenched era of Punjab’s history”.
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The magazine also reported that the December-end ban by a number of gurudwaras in Canada on Indian officials and elected representatives has raised the spectre of a new revival of the Khalistan spirit. Though many gurudwaras in Canada and elsewhere have ignored the ban and questioned its validity, several have enforced, sparking off serious disquiet in the Indian establishment.
At the time of the 1986 shooting, Atwal was a Sikh separatist active in the pro-Khalistan International Sikh Youth Federation. He and three others were convicted in 1987 of trying to kill Malkiat Singh Sidhu. Sidhu, who survived the attack, was later assassinated in India. The trial judge called the attack "an act of terrorism" and sentenced Atwal and the others to 20 years in prison.
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Trudeau, who is in India on a week-long State visit, has been under pressure throughout his tour to answer Indian concerns about Sikh separatism in Canada.
He had, on Wednesday, assured Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh his country does not support separatism in India or elsewhere even as he received a list of nine Canada-based operatives allegedly involved in promoting radicalism.
As the 'Khalistan' issue featured prominently in the talks between the two leaders in Amritsar, an official said that Trudeau told Amarinder Singh he had dealt with threats of separatist movement all his life and was fully aware of the dangers of violence.
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(Agency inputs)
