More in Canada govt pro-Khalistan: Capt
Rajmeet Singh
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 13
Hardening his stand against Canada’s Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan, whom he had dubbed a “Khalistani sympathiser” on Wednesday, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today said not only Sajjan but Canada’s other Sikh ministers and MPs — including Navdeep Bains, Amarjit Sohi, Sukh Dhaliwal, Darshan Kang, Raj Grewal, Harinder Malhi, Ruby Sahota and Randeep Sarai — were known for their pro-Khalistan leanings.
Canada, meanwhile, termed Capt Amarinder’s comment that five ministers in the Justin Trudeau government, including Sajjan, were Khalistani sympathisers as “disappointing and inaccurate”. Rejecting Canada’s defence, Capt Amarinder said he stood by his “principled” stand and would not meet any “Khalistani sympathiser”.
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The CM seems to have politically scored over the Aam Aadmi Party, the main Opposition party, whom he had during electioneering accused of aligning with radical Sikh groups.
Reacting sharply, AAP said the CM has not only insulted Sajjan, but “Sikhs in particular, who have proved their mettle in foreign lands”.
The CM said Sajjan was welcome to attend conferences in Punjab and visit the Golden Temple but he would not play host to him as he had information that like his father Kundan Sajjan, a board member of the World Sikh Organisation, he too was sympathetic to the Khalistan cause. "The state government will provide security to the minister
and ensure that he is treated as per the protocol," Amarinder said.
He lashed out at AAP and Dal Khalsa for attacking him on the issue, accusing the two of playing into the hands of forces inimical to India. He said his sole concern was the future of Punjab that had lost 35,000 innocent lives during militancy.
The CM said he had never believed in public posturing and "from breaking away from the Congress in the wake of Operation Bluestar to resigning from the Lok Sabha over the SYL issue," he had only upheld values to protect the interests of Punjab and its people.
The CM said AAP's criticism only proved that its national convener Arvind Kejriwal’s had a soft corner for Khalistanis. "Kejriwal had shown his extremist leanings by residing in the house of a former Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) militant during one of his election tours," Amarinder pointed out.
QUOTES
The CM should not have let a personal incident cloud his judgement and refrained from making disparaging remarks against Sajjan and other Punjabi representatives in Canadian parliament. —Sukhbir Badal, SAD
The CM has not only insulted the Canadian Defence Minister, but Punjabis in general and Sikhs in particular, who have proved their mettle in foreign lands, not only in business but in the political arena too. —Sukhpal S Khaira, AAP
