India

2 AAP MLAs From Punjab Sent Back To India After Being Interrogated At Ottawa Airport In Canada

Darpan News Desk IANS, 23 Jul, 2018 10:05 AM

Canadian Immigration authorities on Sunday refused entry to two AAP MLAs — Kultar Singh Sandhwan (Faridkot) and Amarjit Singh Sandoa (Ropar). Sent back from the Ottawa airport, they are likely to reach New Delhi on Monday morning, said sources.

While the reason for them being turned away could not be ascertained, three AAP MLAs said the authorities were not convinced about the purpose of their visit. Accompanied by Sandoa, Sandhwan had reportedly gone to visit his sister who lives in Ottawa.

In a press statement released from the party headquarters, MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan said that he along with his fellow MLA from Ropar, Amarjeet Singh Sandhoa reached Ottawa airport in the afternoon and after getting clearance from immigration authority the officers of Canada Border Services questioned them.

I was not deported, due to a communication gap & me being an MLA they got confused whether its my political visit or personal visit, they told me next time I should come with prior information about my schedule: Kultar Sandhwan AAP MLA on 2 AAP MLAs allegedly deported from Canada pic.twitter.com/3nae0EATMI
— ANI (@ANI) July 23, 2018

Sandhwan said that he was asked if the tour was personal or it was a political visit as at the time of applying he termed it purely personal visit along with his family. He said that during the questioning, he said that the visit is personal but if party workers invited them for talks he would be going there as well.

Sandhwan said that the Canadian authorities then inquired about the programme of political activities, but he replied that the same cannot be told as the meetings are not fixed yet. He said that the authorities then accused him of hiding the details and even after his repeated requests they did not allow them to leave. He said that the authorities asked them to furnish the details and apply the visa afresh. Sandhwan said they decided to return to India after that.

#AAP ਵਿਧਾਇਕ ਸੰਦੋਆ ਅਤੇ ਸੰਧਵਾ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਹਵਾਈ ਅੱਡੇ ਤੋਂ ਕਿਉਂ ਵਾਪਸ ਪਰਤੇ, ਸੁਣੋ ਇਸ ਰਿਪੋਰਟ ਵਿੱਚ@capt_amarinder @AAPPunjab @SukhpalKhaira @INCPunjab @simarjeet_bains @Sandhwan @sdineshaa @NitinDhiman1010 pic.twitter.com/EIh1pRo9TM
— Zee Punjab (@ZeePunjab) July 23, 2018

Sandhoa said that he was just asked why he did not bring along his family with him as per the details filled in the initial visa form for which he replied that he could not bring his children as they were attending school. He cleared that nothing related to any case was asked by Canadian authorities as published in some newspapers.

He said that it was disheartening to see a section of media cooking stories without any confirmation. He reiterated that it was done to malign his and party's reputation.

Sandoa is facing a case of alleged molestation. State co-convener Dr Balbir Singh said Sandoa had taken permission from a Ropar court to go abroad.

It is suspected that a criminal case Sandoa faces for alleged molestation and criminal intimidation may have played a role in the decision, with a former AAP volunteer claiming he had tipped the Canadian immigration authorities off about it.

A former AAP member, Dr Amandeep Singh Bains, claimed that he and other former volunteers of the party had been “in touch” with the Canadian authorities about the criminal case against Sandoa.

Bains, a Ludhiana-based dental surgeon, said that when he came to know about Sandoa’s planned visit to Canada last week, he wrote a series of emails to the Canadian Border Services Agency (its border and immigration enforcement agency) and the country’s immigration minister, Ahmed Hussen. “Canadian immigration authorities take allegations of sexual crimes very seriously. We told them that Sandoa was charged with molesting and assaulting a woman,” he added.

“I am grateful that the Canadian authorities acted promptly on our complaint,” Bains said, adding that he had no clue why Sandhwan was sent back. “We have never complained against him,” he added.

Some reports suggest that Sandhwan, known to be quick-tempered, reportedly intervened when Sandoa was being questioned and argued with the immigration staff, which is why he was barred entry too, sources said.

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