The controversy created by an invitation to former convicted Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's dinner in Delhi last week has created a storm in Canadian politics, with the opposition moving a motion to support India's unity and condemn Khalistani separatists.
The issue snowballed into a major issue in Canadian parliament on Tuesday after Trudeau's national security advisor alleged that the invitation to Atwal was arranged by some elements in the Indian government to sabotage Trudeau's India visit.
With India rejecting the allegations as "baseless and unacceptable", the opposition Conservative Party on Wednesday asked Trudeau to respond to India's rebuttal.
Trudeau defended the allegations against India by his national security advisor, and said: "When one of our top diplomats and security officials says something to Canadians, it is because they know it to be true."
Calling the allegations against India "bizarre", Opposition Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer asked Trudeau: "Will the Prime Minister produce some kind of proof for his conspiracy theory?"
Trudeau makes alarming accusationsToday in Question Period, the Prime Minister told two different stories that cannot both possibly be true. It’s alarming that Justin Trudeau does not understand the seriousness of the accusations he is making against the Indian Government. He must clearly explain to Canadians the facts behind his conspiracy theory.
Posted by Andrew Scheer on Wednesday, 28 February 2018
The Opposition party resolved to move a motion in parliament on Thursday to condemn Khalistani separatists and pledge support to India's unity.
Alberta MP Deepak Obhrai had emailed on Wednesday that the following motion was to be debated in Parliament on Thursday.
"That the House:
(a) values the contributions of Canadian Sikhs and Canadians of Indian origin in our national life
(b)Condemn in the strongest terms all forms of terrorism, including Khalistani extremism and the glorification of any individuals who have committed acts of violence to advance the cause of an independent Khalistani state in India
(c) Stand with a united India."
However, early Thursday morning, the Conservative Party decided against proceeding with motion.
According to Canadian Sikh Association they were thankful the Tories had backed down from a proposed motion from foreign affairs critic Erin O’Toole.
Throughout the whole night, the Sikh Community has been working aggressively to refute the frivolous allegations of...
Posted by Canadian Sikh Association (CSA) on Thursday, 1 March 2018
Jason Kenney and Tim Uppal were flooded with objections from the members of Sikh community who said that the motion would give the wrong impression to Canadians that all Sikhs were violent Khalistanis and this would lead to more racism and that led Conservative Party to put off a motion.
The Atwal controversy marred Trudeau's visit to India. A former member of the banned International Sikh Youth Federation, Surrey-based Atwal spent years in jail in connection with the 1986 assassination attempt on then Punjab Minister Malkit Singh Sidhu during his visit to Canada.
He was also involved in attack on Ujjal Dosanjh in the mid-198s in Vancouver.
Atwal, whose picture with Trudeau's wife in Mumbai, led to the controversy and cancellation of his invitation for dinner with Trudeau in Delhi, was on India's blacklist for many years.
Earlier today we received confirmation that @CPC_HQ has pulled a controversial motion unfairly targeting Canadian...
Posted by World Sikh Organization of Canada on Thursday, 1 March 2018
Trudeau has said that he doesn't know Atwal. But Atwal has told the Canadian Press that he has known Trudeau for many years.
"We know each other. He (Trudeau) knows my name, he'll come and say, 'Hey Jas, how you doing?' We have a good relationship I never see any problem. But now he says, 'Oh Jaspal's not supposed to be here, this and that.' It surprised me."
