Khalistan terrorist Jaspal Atwal in photos of Justin Trudeau’s Mumbai event sparks row
NEW DELHI : A day after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he would not support Khalistani separatists, reports have emerged that Jaspal Atwal, a Khalistan separatist convicted in the shooting of Punjab Minister Malkiat Sondhi in 1986 was present at an event of the PM in Mumbai and had been invited to another in Delhi.
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau is on a week-long visit to India, and his family photographs from places like Taj Mahal in Agra, Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat and Amrtisar have been circulated on news and social media platforms widely.
But the latest photographs from a dinner event of the Trudeaus in Mumbai has triggered a big controversy. According to those photographs, a convicted Khalistani terrorist was part of the event.
News agency ANI reported that Jaspal Atwal, a convicted Khalistani terrorist, was clicked by shutterbugs along with the Canadian PM’s wife, Sophie Trudeau. He was also photographed with Canadian Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Amarjeet Sohi. 
Atwal was, according to the report, also invited for a formal dinner with Justin Trudeau and his family. However, it has now been cancelled. The invitation for the February 22 event, to be held at Canada House in New Delhi has been extended to him by Nadir Patel, High Commissioner for Canada to India.
The Canadian High Commission has rescinded Atwal’s invitation. “We do not comment of matters relating to the PM’s security,” it said.
Jaspal Atwal was active in banned terrorist group international Sikh Youth Federation. He was convicted of the attempted murder of former Indian minister Malkiat Singh Sidhu on Vancouver Island in 1986. Atwal was one of the four men who ambushed and shot at Sidhu’s car.
The 46-year-old Canadian PM arrived in New Delhi on Saturday for a week-long visit on the invitation by his ‘friend’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The visit is aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries in key areas of mutual interest trade and investment, energy, science and innovation, higher education, infrastructure development, skill development and space, a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs said.
Cooperation in security and counter-terrorism, as well as an exchange of views on global and regional issues of mutual interest, will also form important components of the visit.(With Agency Inputs ).
