Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is again in news for all the wrong reasons. In a major embarrassment to AAP lawmakers who are not new to embarrassments, two AAP MLAs were detained at Ottawa airport in Canada and sent back to India.
Ropar MLA Amarjit Singh Sandoa and Kotkapura MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan were detained and questioned by the Canadian immigration officials about the reason of their visit. According to reports, they were detained at around 9 am Indian Standard Time (IST), after the questioning they had been put on an Air Canada flight back to India.
AAP MLA claimed that they had come to visit their families, but the Canadian authorities were not satisfied with their answers, so there must be some other reasons which could have prompted them to send back these MLAs to India.
AAP spokesperson in Toronto, Sudeep Singla told Indian Express, “What we have learnt is that both were to stay with the sister of Kultar Singh Sandhwan in Ottawa and she was waiting to receive them. However, after hours of questioning, she was informed that both were being sent back.”
AAP social media manager based in Vancouver, Kamal Garg said, “Deportation is a wrong term. The two have been denied entry into Canada. I have learnt that while Sandhwan was able to satisfy Canadian authorities on the purpose of his visit, Sandoa could not because he is not fluent in English.”
A senior AAP MLA has claimed that they told Canadian authorities something about their political meetings in Canada, which might have led to their deportation to India.
Dr Balbir Singh, AAP State co-president claimed that he has no knowledge about their MLAs being sent back to India. He also said that both the MLAs had taken permission from the party before leaving for their private visit to Canada.
Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Leader of Opposition said that he has called a meeting of all MLAs on Tuesday to discuss the issue of deportation of two AAP MLAs along with many other party issues.
MLA Amarjit Singh Sandoa is facing molestation, assault and criminal intimidation and a court in Ropar framed charges against him on Friday, just a day before he left for his visit to Canada. The other MLA does not have any criminal case against him.
Time and again AAP leaders have been accused of sympathizing with Khalistani separatists. The party’s leadership in the state has been openly supporting the secessionist elements in a hideous attempt to grab political power in Punjab. Last Month, senior leader of AAP and Punjab leader Sukhpal Khaira had supported a referendum for Khalistan. Khaira reportedly said, “I support the Sikh referendum 2020 movement as Sikhs have the right to demand justice against atrocities suffered by them”.
Current Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau is also accused of providing a platform to Khalistani elements. The Khalistan issue was one of the contentious issues during Justin Trudeau’s visit to India in February. His delegation had a known Khalistan sympathizer – Manvir Singh Saini, a reporter whose pictures while holding a placard asking Modi to get out of Khalistan went viral some time back. The Indian government had put pressure on Justin Trudeau to act against the radical elements and its results were clearly seen when the Canadian authorities questioned ISI-backed hardliner Hardip Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, who is accused of running terrorist camps on behest of the ISI in Canada, was one of the nine most wanted Khalistan terrorists in Punjab.
Although the reason of their deportation is not yet clear, the Khalistan angle cannot be ruled out as of now.