Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s week-long visit to India in February was marred by a major controversy as an invitation…
Sophie Trudeau’s picture with Jaspal Atwal at a function in Mumbai on 20 February. (Photo: Twitter)
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s week-long visit to India in February was marred by a major controversy as an invitation was sent out to Jaspal Atwal, a convicted Khalistani terrorist, to attend PM Trudeau’s reception dinner in New Delhi. The invitation was later revoked.
Canadian MP Randeep S Sarai had earlier taken the complete responsibility for inviting Atwal.
“I alone facilitated his request to attend this important event. I should have exercised better judgment, and I take full responsibility for my actions,” he had said in a statement.
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In the latest development, Sarai has claimed that he took full responsibility as soon as he found out that this had happened because the name came from his office but he didn’t invite him.
“Look, I took full responsibility as soon as I found out that this had happened and I, you know, the name came from my office, I should have vetted them before I forwarded them, I should have looked a bit more diligently at it, I am a new, young Member of Parliament, a rookie you can say so obviously I am learning from my mistakes,” Sarai said in an interview with Surrey Now-Leader.
“I didn’t invite the person (Jaspal Atwal). He’s a media personality; he’s associated with Media Waves, the radio, and he’s there for, around everywhere. We did go on his radio pre-election, kind of during the writ period time, afterwards I’ve been on it a couple of times, he’s been around socially in the community here in Surrey for years now,” he added.
Jaspal Atwal, a member of banned outfit International Sikh Youth Federation was convicted of attempted murder in 1986. He along with four men ambushed and shot at Cabinet Minister Malkiat Singh Sidhu while he was visiting Vancouver Island in 1986.
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