OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau’s efforts to reassure Indian political leaders that his government repudiates violent Sikh extremism suffered an embarrassing setback Wednesday with the revelation that a Canadian Sikh convicted of trying to assassinate an Indian cabinet minister in 1986 has been invited to attend events with the prime minister during his visit to India.
CBC News reported late Wednesday that Jaspal Atwal attended a prime ministerial event with the Indian film industry in Mumbai on Tuesday, where he posed for photographs with Trudeau’s wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, and Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi.
He was also invited by Canada’s high commissioner to India to dine with Trudeau at a formal reception Thursday in Delhi. CBC reported that the invitation was rescinded after the public broadcaster asked the Prime Minister’s Office about it.
According to CBC, Atwal was a member of the International Sikh Youth Federation, a banned terrorist group in Canada and India, when he was convicted of the attempted murder of an Indian cabinet minister. He was one of four men who ambushed and shot Malkiat Singh Sidhu on Vancouver Island in 1986.
CBC reported that Atwal has also been convicted in an automobile fraud case and was charged, but not convicted, in connection with a savage 1985 attack on Ujjal Dosanjh, a staunch opponent of the Sikh separatist movement’s push for an independent Sikh state of Khalistan. Dosanjh went on to become premier of British Columbia and a federal cabinet minister.
A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister’s Office did not respond to a request to explain how Atwal could have ended up on the guest list for events during Trudeau’s tour.
But his presence raises questions about the adequacy of both security and diplomatic preparations for Trudeau’s trip.
The news of Atwal’s involvement came just hours after Trudeau reassured the chief minister of Punjab, Amarinder Singh, that Canada supports a united India and condemns violent extremism.
Singh has in the past called four Sikh ministers in Trudeau’s cabinet “Khalistani sympathizers” and last year refused to meet with one of them, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan.
Tensions between Canada and India have risen in recent years over Indian concerns about a rise in Sikh extremism coming from some of Canada’s Sikh communities. Trudeau’s appearances at some Sikh events where extremist supporters also showed up caused unhappiness in India.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has raised the issue with Trudeau several times and it likely will come up again when the two leaders meet Friday in Delhi.
After his meeting Wednesday with Singh, Trudeau reiterated his position that Canada supports a united India and absolutely condemns violence for any cause, but will not crack down on those advocating peacefully for an independent Sikh state because that is a freedom of speech issue.
“We will always stand against violent extremism, but we understand that diversity of views is one of the great strengths of Canada,” Trudeau said. “I was able to make that very clear to him.”