Targeted by radicals in Canada, says Phoolka

Sarbjit Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 2

Human rights advocate and senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Harvinder Singh Phoolka today said that he was proud to be an Indian and would not be cowed down by the propaganda against him by a particular radical group in Canada.

Phoolka is visiting various places in Canada and would return to India next week.

Speaking to TNS on the phone, Phoolka, who has been fighting to secure justice for the next of kin of Sikhs killed in Delhi in 1984, said that he had been purposely targeted by certain pro-Khalistan groups.

His statement on a TV channel that the fight was on to at least secure symbolic justice for the riot victim families had been deliberately misinterpreted by radical groups in Canada.

“What I said was that many of the accused in riots cases have already died. A number of eyewitnesses have also passed away in recent years. In such a situation, to secure even symbolic justice by getting the remaining accused punished would provide at least some satisfaction”, he said.

“Of course, we wanted that all the accused must be convicted. But those who have died cannot be convicted now”, he added.

I have an impression that certain radical groups were playing the game of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Canada, he said.

He said that he loves India and is a staunch nationalist. “Not only me, but several other top Indian advocates such as Soli Sorabjee, VM Tarkunde and others also contested the cases free of cost to bring the perpetrators of the 1984 riots to justice. How one can forget the services of such advocates”, he said.