Trudeau Says Khalistani Terrorist Should Not Have Received Dinner Invitation; MEA Says Don’t Know How He Got the Visa

New Delhi: Amid reports that the member of a Sikh separatist group was invited to dine with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, he was quick to say on Thursday that the person "should never have received the invitation".

"Obviously, we take this extremely seriously. He should never have received an invitation. As soon as we received the information we rescinded it, a member of Parliament had included this individual," said Trudeau.

Jaspal Atwal, a convicted former member of a Sikh separatist group, was invited to dine with Trudeau by Canada's High Commissioner to India.

Atwal was convicted of cabinet minister Malkait Singh Sidhu's murder in 1986 on Vancouver Island. During the time of the crime he was a member of the International Sikh Federation which has been banned in several countries, including India and Canada, as a terrorist organization. He was one of the four men who shot at Sidhu's car.

Reacting to the controversy, India said it will find out how Atwal managed to get the visa.

"Canadian side has already clarified that the invitation has been withdrawn. About the Visa I don't know how it happened. We will ascertain information from our Commission," said Raveesh Kumar, Spokesperson, MEA.

The trouble began when pictures of Atwal with Trudeau's wife Sophie and Liberal cabinet minister Amarjeet Sohi in Mumbai emerged a day before Trudeau was to meet PM Modi.

Atwal at Trudeau's event could have led to trouble for Canadian PM amid claims of him being snubbed due to his alleged acceptance of Sikh separatist groups. The Canadian PM has tried time and again to assure India that he had no such inclination towards the groups.

On Wednesday, during a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, Trudeau had said that his country stands for a united India and does not support any separatist movement, in India or elsewhere.

Trudeau's categorical assurance came when Singh raised the Khalistan issue and sought his cooperation to crack down on elements in Canada that are working to destabilise Punjab for the creation of a separate Sikh state.