How did a Khalistani terror convict enter India, and get clicked with Justin Trudeau’s wife?
After pictures of Nirav Modi “photobombing” Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Davos created a stir, another photo bomb has been dropped, this time over Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit to India.
Even as his visit was seen as being “snubbed by India”, Trudeau’s wife Sophie, along with a Canadian minister, was photographed at a Mumbai event with Jaspal Atwal, a Khalistani terror convict. Atwal was also invited to an official dinner for Trudeau by the Canadian High Commissioner in Delhi. The invite was cancelled as the controversy gathered steam on Thursday.
While Canada has since gone into damage control mode, the incident also raises questions over the Indian establishment. At a time when the government of India is seemingly going to great lengths to convey to Trudeau its disapproval of his party’s “soft stand” towards pro-Khalistan elements, a more rigorous check of who they allowed into the country was in order.
So how did a man convicted of an assassination attempt on an Indian minister manage to be invited to official events, and even get clicked with the Canadian PM’s wife?
How did Atwal enter India?
Jaspal Atwal, a businessman who lives in British Columbia, was convicted for an attempt to kill Punjab minister Malkiat Singh Sidhu on Vancouver Island in 1986. The trial court verdict was later overturned, but Atwal reportedly admitted to his parole officer that he had shot Sidhu. He was a member of the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), which was involved in the Kanishka Air India flight bombing of 1985 that killed 331 people.
With this history, he should ideally not have been granted a visa to enter India. In fact, the home ministry maintains a blacklist of Sikh extremists who are not allowed to travel to India. The government periodically reviews the “blacklist” and, based on intelligence inputs and people’s records, removes names from them. One such exercise was carried out in 2016 ahead of the Punjab elections.
Atwal’s name seems to have been dropped from the list. Also, several Punjabi NRIs who have Person of Indian Origin status in Canada do not need a visa to travel to India, but it is not known if this is the case with Atwal. The external affairs ministry doesn’t know either.
“Let us not presume things and decide how he managed to come. This is something which we are trying to find out. In due course, we will be able to come up with a reason that how he managed to come in India,” the ministry spokesperson has said.
Atwal himself has claimed that he was not a part of Trudeau’s delegation, and had come to India on his own on February 11 for business. At a time when India is raising the issue of Khalistani voices in Canada, this is an embarrassing oversight.
While Canadian authorities should not have invited Atwal to an official event with Trudeau – the businessman was also convicted of involvement in an automobile fraud ring as late as in 2010 – India cannot shake off responsibility and lay the entire blame at Canada’s door.
On its part, Canada has said the invite to Atwal was a mistake. “We take this very seriously. The individual in question should have never received an invitation. The person and department responsible will take full responsibility for his actions,” Trudeau said. The Canadian MP who invited Atwal has aplogised too. “I alone facilitated (Atwal)'s request to attend this important event. I should have exercised better judgment, and I take full responsibility for my actions,” MP Randeep Sarai has said.
Is Trudeau soft on Khalistan supporters?
During his meeting with Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on February 22, Trudeau assured him that “his country did not support any separatist movement in India or elsewhere.”
However, the Canadian PM and his Liberal Party of Canada have long been accused of “mild flirtation with Khalistani separatists” to pursue the Sikh votebank. Sikhs form about 1.5 per cent of Canada’s population, Trudeau’s Cabinet has more Sikh ministers than Modi’s.
In April 2017, Trudeau attended a “khalsa day” parade, an event Canadian PMs normally miss, as it is organised by one of the more radical gurdwaras in the country. The parade hailed as heroes Sikh militant leaders like Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Amreek Singh and former General Shahbeg Singh, killed in Operation Bluestar in 1984. India’s ministry of external affairs (MEA) had protested over this.
The same month, the Ontario Assembly passed a resolution to declare the 1984 anti-Sikh riots a “genocide”.
Canada has also seen the growth of Sikh extremist groups, especially those seeking a “referendum 2020”, in which the Sikh diaspora worldwide is supposed to vote on an “independent Khalistan”.
In January this year, 16 Canadian gurdwaras announced a “ban” on the entry of Indian elected officials, consular officials, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Shiv Sena members. According to a report in The Hindu, The Trudeau government did not pull them up, citing “freedom of expression” issues to explain their stand. There have also been reports of gurdwaras that receive state support for spreading extremism.
With Trudeau and Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to meet today, hopefully there will be more clarity over Canada’s stand on the Khalistan issue, and the Atwal controversy laid to rest.
Also read: Why Modi 'snub' will help Justin Trudeau back in Canada