Justin Trudeau backs conspiracy theory over Jaspal Atwal’s invite, India denies allegations

Soon after the controversy, Canadian media, citing an unnamed government source, said that officials in Ottawa believed that Atwal’s presence was an attempt by “rogue” elements in the Indian establishment to embarrass Trudeau on the issue of Sikh separatist activity on Canadian soil.

READ | Canadian PM Justin Trudeau upset with invitation to Khalistani activist, India probing how he got visa

And while speaking in the Parliament on the issue on Tuesday, Trudeau did not refute the ‘conspiracy theory’. Responding to Conservative leader Andrew Scheer’s question about the “allegations” made by the government source, Trudeau said, “Our professional, non-partisan public service does high quality work and when one of our top diplomats and security officials says something to Canadians, it’s because they know it to be true,” reported CBCNews.

Canadian Member of Parliament (MP) Randeep S. Sarai, however, took responsibility for inviting Atwal to Trudeau’s reception dinner in New Delhi.

Canadian Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Amarjeet Sohi, photographed with Jaspal Atwal at an event in Mumbai on February 20 (ANI Twitter/CBCNews)

Reacting to this, MEA official spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a statement, “We have seen the recent exchange in the Parliament of Canada regarding two invitations issued to Jaspal Atwal by the Canadian High Commissioner, for functions hosted in honour of the Canadian Prime Minister in India.”

“Let me categorically state that the Government of India, including the security agencies, had nothing to do with the presence of Jaspal Atwal at the event hosted by the Canadian High Commissioner in Mumbai or the invitation issued to him for the Canadian High Commissioner’s reception in New Delhi. Any suggestion to the contrary is baseless and unacceptable,” he added.

Read | Who is Jaspal Atwal?

Atwal was convicted of attempted murder in 1987, after shooting Malkiat Singh Sidhu, who at the time was visiting family on Vancouver Island. He is a former member of the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), a pro-Khalistani outfit that was banned in Canada and designated a terrorist organization in 2003.