India indicated that it had raised with Canada the presence of PM Justin Trudeau at a recent event in Toronto where two legislators, who had authored a motion in the Ontario Assembly calling the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as "genocide", were felicitated.
India indicated today that it had raised with Canada the presence of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a recent event in Toronto where two legislators, who had authored a motion in the Ontario Assembly calling the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as "genocide", were felicitated.
"We have taken up such issues in the past with the government of Canada through diplomatic channels. "What I can mention without going into the details of this particular instance is that the practice has not been discontinued," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said.
He was responding to a question on the presence of Trudeau at the event in Toronto where photographs of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, considered a terrorist by India, was displayed, besides felicitating the two legislators who had drafted the "genocide motion".
The Khalsa Day event was organised to mark the Sikh new year. Last month, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley had strongly raised with his Canadian counterpart Harjit Singh Sajjan India's "anguish" over the passage of the "genocide motion" at the Ontario Assembly.
In April, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh termed Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan a "Khalistani sympathiser", saying he would not meet him during his expected visit to India later this month. "Harjit Sajjan is a Khalistani sympathiser and so was his father," the Chief Minister alleged during a programme in a private TV channel.
"There were, in fact, five ministers in the Justin Trudeau government who were Khalistani sympathisers and I will not have any truck with them," he claimed.
Reacting to the comment, Canada termed as "disappointing and inaccurate" the comments by Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh that five ministers in the Justin Trudeau government, including Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, were "Khalistani sympathisers".
Singh had yesterday alleged that Sajjan like his father is a "Khalistani sympathiser" and he would not meet him during his scheduled visit to India later this month.
Reacting to the remarks, the Canadian High Commission here said, "The comments regarding Canada's ministers are both disappointing and inaccurate."
It also asserted that Canada greatly values its relationship with the people and the government of Punjab, and look forward to further advancing this relationship.
"We regret that the Chief Minister of Punjab is unavailable to meet with Canada's Minister of Defence. The Chief Minister is welcome to visit Canada," the high commission added.
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