Khalistanis heckle SAD leaders in North America

Out to woo expatriate Punjabis in preparation for the Punjab assembly polls in 2017, a delegation of senior ministers of the Shiromani Akali Dal government is facing certain heat across North America.

Angry Sikh protestors raising Khalistani slogans disrupted a meeting being addressed by Punjab's minister for NRI affairs Tota Singh on Saturday.

Though the minister escaped without injury, reports from Richmond Hill, NY stated that local police had to requisition reinforcements to prevent a serious clash.

The demonstrators, mostly young Sikhs, raised slogans against Punjab's Parkash Singh Badal government and minister Tota Singh.

Police were forced to cordon off the venue of Tota Singh's meeting, a local banquet hall, to preempt things from taking a violent turn.

Earlier too, Tota Singh had faced similar ire from local Sikhs in Toronto, Canada, where he arrived to engage with NRI's last week.

The SAD minister was heckled and targeted with water bottles. One report stated that a protesting Sikh even hurled a shoe at the minister's car.

Following this, local police detained two protestors while Tota Singh and his delegation were advised to leave the venue.

The NRI minister is leading one of five SAD ministerial delegations aiming to woo expatriate Punjabis ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections due in early 2017.

Punjabi NRIs, most of whom have close links with families in Punjab, are a much sought after constituency capable of significantly influencing voter preferences back home.

Interestingly, while the SAD doesn't appear to be having much success in North America, former Congress chief minister Capt. Amarinder Singh is planning to visit the USA and Canada this September.

Sensing a 'fatigue' vis--vis the SAD after close to a decade in power, Capt. Singh clearly hopes better luck this his political rivals.