Amarinder writes protest letter to PM Trudeau

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 22

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt Amarinder Singh has lodged a strong protest with the Canadian Government over the denial of permission to hold interactive meetings with the Punjabis in Toronto and Vancouver.

“It feels like a gag order that has left a very bad taste, more so, when issued by a democratic government like the Canadian”, he said.

In a strongly worded letter to the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, quoting Canadian constitution to argue his point, Capt Amarinder said, he was disappointed over the “gag order” that has left a bad taste.

He sought to know the grounds on which the permission had been denied to him.

Following a complaint by an America-based group, under the provisions of Global Affairs of Canada (GAC), the Canadian Government had asked Capt Amarinder not to attend the programmes hosted by the Canadian citizens of Indian origin. 

The GAC policy, which has been invoked to deny him permission, mentions that the Canadian Government “will not allow foreign governments to conduct election campaigns in Canada or establish foreign political parties and movements in Canada”.

Capt Amarinder clarified that he neither represented any government at the moment, nor was he organising any election campaign since there are no elections scheduled in Punjab right now or in immediate future. Besides, he added, he had no intention or purpose to establish any political party or movement in Canada.

The programme had been organised by the local Canadian citizens, who were entitled to various “fundamental freedoms” in accordance with the Canadian constitution. He pointed out that he was there to be as their guest only.

He said that he had “planned to visit Canada to interact with my fellow Punjabis at personal level to learn about their experiences and seek their opinions”.

"They, being the citizens of Canada, do not have any voting rights in India," he said.

Asserting that his government’s order undermined the “fundamental freedoms” guaranteed in the Canadian constitution, he said, it was not only he who had been denied these freedoms.

“The order has denied the freedom of “expression”, “peaceful assembly” and “association”, to the Canadian citizens, who are the same people who have immensely contributed towards building up this beautiful country and you have yourself acknowledged that," read the Capt's letter to Prime Minister Trudeau.