National
Canadian mission rescinds invitation to Khalistan separatist for Trudeau reception
New Delhi, Feb 22 (IANS) Amid a raging controversy, the High Commission of Canada on Thursday said that it has rescinded an invitation extended to Khalistan separatist Jaspal Atwal for a reception in honour of visiting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“The High Commission has rescinded Mr. Atwal’s invitation,” the mission said in a statement.
“We do not comment on matters relating to the PM’s security,” it added.
A huge controversy erupted when news emerged that an invitation has been extended to Khalistan separatist Atwal, who was also convicted of attempted assassination in Canada in 1987, for the reception to be held at the residence of Canadian High Commissioner Nadir Patel here on Thursday.
“His Excellency Nadir Patel, High Commissioner for Canada to India, is pleased to invite Jaspal Atwal to a dinner-reception celebrating Canada-India ties on the occasion of the visit of The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada,” the invitation reads.
Canadian Minister for Science and Sports Kirsty Duncan, who is in Trudeau’s delegation, also said that Atwal should never have been invited.
She told the media here that the invitation has now been rescinded and it was being looked into how the matter happened.
Meanwhile, the Toronto Sun, on its website published photographs of Atwal with Trudeau’s wife Sophie Trudeau and Canadian Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sodhi.
“The Sun was shown photos of Atwal with Sophie Trudeau, which confirm he is in India with Trudeau’s delegation this week,” the accompanying story said.
It stated that Atwal has also been photographed in India with Indian-origin Brampton South Liberal MP Sonia Sidhu.
Atwal was found guilty of attempting to assassinate then Punjab state minister Malkiat Singh Sidhu in 1986 when he was on a visit to Canada for a family wedding.
Sidhu was driving on a rural road in the small community of Gold River, British Columbia, when his car was ambushed by Sikh extremists. The car’s windows were smashed and Sidhu was shot five times, but survived the assassination attempt.
“Four men, including Jaspal Atwal, were arrested and eventually sentenced to 20 years in prison. The men did not serve jail time, however, because CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligence Service) was found to have obtained evidence through an improperly obtained warrant,” the Sun report said.
It also said that in 2011, Atwal lost a $28,000 decision against the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia in relation to a car fraud ring that included dozens of people.
“Atwal is a partisan activist in British Columbia and previously held a leadership position in Surrey with the Liberal Party of Canada,” the report added.
Atwal is also a former member of the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), a militant group that was banned in Canada and designated a terrorist organisation in 2003.
This incident is the latest to happen amid wide speculation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government cold-shouldering Trudeau during his eight-day state visit to India that started on February 17.
The visiting dignitary and his family have visited Agra, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Amritsar but Modi has not yet issued any welcome statement or tweet.
While Modi did not accompany Trudeau to Ahmedabad, a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh at Amritsar on Wednesday was organised only at the last moment. During the meeting, Singh handed over a list of nine Canada-based operatives alleged to have been involved in hate crimes in Punjab by financing and supplying weapons for terrorist activities, and also engaged in trying to radicalise youth and children in the state.
Ties between New Delhi and Ottawa have been frosty in recent times as Canada is being seen as offering a platform to separatists demanding an independent Khalistan.
The visit of Trudeau, who assumed office in November 2015, comes after the visit of Modi to Canada in April that year.
The two leaders are scheduled to hold a bilateral summit here on Friday.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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