Alleging a cover-up in the Canadian government’s decision to close its investigations into the brazen threats issued in April by the pro-Khalistanis against Captain Amarinder Singh, the Punjab Congress has urged the central government to take up the matter with the Canadian prime minister.The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) should seek Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeu’s intervention to ensure that those guilty of using the country’s soil to issue open and violent threats to the Punjab Chief Minister are not allowed a free run, Punjab Congress leaders Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria and Ramanjit Singh Sikki said, while demanding to know the status of the frivolous case filed against Captain Amarinder by SFJ to prevent him from visiting the Western nation.The Punjab Congress has called for activation of all international diplomatic channels to pressurize the Canadian government to take necessary steps to check the proliferation of anti-India forces on their soil. Canada should be asked to reopen the case and get it independently investigated in the interest of justice and fair play, and to ensure that its land is not used for divisive propaganda and spread of hatred.In a statement issued here on Sunday, the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) leaders said it was evident that a proper inquiry had not been carried out with respect to the formal complaint reportedly lodged by the Indian High Commission in Ottawa to Global Affairs-Canada. India had filed the formal complaint after videos of the April 22 Baisakhi Day event in British Columbia’s Surrey city had surfaced.
The videos showed pro-Khalistani elements issuing threats as part of the hate speeches made by Sikh radicals operating from Canadian soil.India had also reportedly raised serious objections to the public display of Khalistan floats with images of slain separatist leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and other terrorists, pictures of AK-47s and photographs of former and serving army and police officers who are on the hit-list of Sikh radicals. Reports said the Canadian provincial police and security agencies were present when all this happened.It was strange that despite all this happening right under their nose, the Canadian authorities had failed to find `sufficient evidence’ against the perpetrators trying to whip up anti-India and anti-Amarinder passions, said the PPCC leaders.Expressing serious concern over the fact that pro-Khalistani elements were being allowed to use Canadian soil to indulge in such unlawful activities against India, particularly Punjab, the Congress leaders exhorted MEA to raise the matter at various international forums.The rabble-rousing propaganda of the Khalistani supporters active in Canada has been continuously growing since more than two years now, the PPCC leader said, recalling that Captain Amarinder Singh was forced to cancel his Canada visit last year following the frivolous complaint and case lodged against him by SFJ (Sikhs for Justice) on frivolous grounds. Canada should take strong steps to prevent such frivolous cases against Indian leaders, especially when these were obviously aimed at playing into hands of anti-India forces like the ISI to embarrass India and project a wrong image of our country, the PPCC leaders added.