A Khalistani Mirror In Trudeau's Gift Hamper

A Khalistani Mirror In Trudeau's Gift Hamper

- Asit Jolly

During his widely anticipated, 40-minute interaction with Justin Trudeau at Amritsar’s Taj Swarna hotel on February 21, Capt. Amarinder Singh handed the Canadian prime minister a dossier along with the many gifts for the Trudeau family. Culled from ‘top secret’ state police files, it contained ‘evidence’ of the ways in which a section of Canada-based Sikhs have been abetting terrorism in Punjab.

The dossier contains extensive details on the activities of nine individuals from Brampton (Ontario), Surrey (British Columbia) and Hamilton (Ontario), allegedly part of a sinister plan to resurrect the Khalistani separatist movement. Among the nine names listed, the document charges Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Malkiat Singh Fauji, Gurjeet Singh Cheema, Gurpreet Singh Lande and Gurjinder Singh Pannu with being variously involved in recruiting terrorists, terror funding, procuring and supplying weapons and explosives, and even arranging to train recruits in handling firearms.

Of the terrorist strikes since January 2015, Canada-based ‘handlers’ are believed to have, in more than one instance, identified targets and served as conduits for information and instruction from Lahore (Pakistan)-based Khalistanis like the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) chief Lakhbir Singh Rode and Harmeet Singh aka ‘PhD’ of the Khalistan Liberation Front (KLF).

At least five of the nine men— named in police FIRs—are alleged to be key operatives of the ISYF, an internationally proscribed terror outfit that also found mention in the Union ministry for external affairs (MEA) statement after Trudeau met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on February 23.