Canada termed on Thursday as "disappointing and inaccurate" the comments by Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh that five ministers in the Justin Trudeau government, including Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, were "Khalistani sympathisers".
Singh had on Wednesday alleged that Sajjan like his father is a "Khalistani sympathiser" and he would not meet him during his scheduled visit to India later this month.
"There were, in fact, five ministers in the Justin Trudeau government who were Khalistani sympathisers and I will not have any truck with them," Singh had further claimed.
Reacting to the remarks, the Candian High Commission here said, "The comments regarding Canada's ministers are both disappointing and inaccurate."
It also asserted that Canada greatly values its relationship with the people and the government of Punjab, and look forward to further advancing this relationship.
"We regret that the Chief Minister of Punjab is unavailable to meet with Canada's Minister of Defence. The Chief Minister is welcome to visit Canada," the high commission added.
Sajjan is scheduled to travel to India next week during which he will hold talks with the leadership here as well as speak on 'conflict prevention and peacekeeping in changing world' on April 18 at a think-tank here.
NO MEETING CANADIAN MINISTER, REITERATES PUNJAB CM
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday said he stuck to his stand of not meeting Canada's Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan, scheduled to visit India and Punjab next week.
Defending his "Khalistani sympathiser" remarks against the Canadian Minister, Amarinder Singh alleged that Sajjan and several other ministers and top leaders in Canada were sympathetic to those indulging in anti-India activities, notwithstanding Canada's claims to the contrary.
"Sajjan is welcome to attend conferences and meetings, and even visit Harmandar Sahib in Amritsar. But I will personally not entertain him as I have concrete information about him being a Khalistani sympathiser, just as his father Kundan Sajjan, a board member of World Sikh Organisation, was," the senior Congress leader said in a statement here.
"The state government will provide full security to the visiting minister and also ensure that he gets treated as per the protocol, but I will not be seen hobnobbing with a Khalistani sympathiser," the Chief Minister added.
"Other Canadian ministers and MPs, including Navdeep Bains, Amarjit Sohi, Sukh Dhaiwal, Darshan Kang, Raj Grewal, Harinder Malhi, Roby Sahota, Jagmeet Singh, and Randeep Sari, are well known for their leanings towards the Khalistani movement," Amarinder Singh alleged.
The Chief Minister said on Wednesday that he will not meet the visiting Sikh minister.
The Congress leader cancelled his Canada trip in April last year after Canadian authorities told him he could not allowed to visit that country for holding political rallies and meetings in the run-up to the 2017 Punjab assembly elections.
Amarinder Singh had wrote an angry letter to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to protest against what he said was "gag order".
Opposition Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday asked Amarinder Singh "not to act petty and spiteful and give the minister of a sovereign country the respect he deserves".
"Amarinder Singh should not let a personal incident cloud his judgement and he should have refrained from making disparaging remarks against Sajjan and other Punjabi representatives in Canadian Parliament. Punjabis worldwide are proud of their elected representatives in Canada and Sajjan is an example of personal accomplishment for the entire Punjabi diaspora. He should not be disrespected in this manner," the former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister said.
AMARINDER SINGH HAS INSULTED CANADIAN DEFENCE MINISTER: AAP
Aam Aadmi Party spokesman and MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira said: "It reflects Amarinder Singh's vindictiveness towards Punjabis living in Canada."
"It is unfortunate. Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has not only insulted the Canadian Defence Minister, but Punjabis in general and Sikhs in particular, who have already proved their mettle in foreign land, not only in the business sector but in the political arena by getting elected as MP to become ministers," Punjab AAP spokesman Sukhpal Khaira said.
The "outburst" against Sajjan, is Amarinder being "vindictive" towards NRIs living in Canada as they did not welcome him during his pre-poll visit to the country, he alleged.
"The Captain must understand that the people of Canada not only elected Harjit Sajjan as MP, but he also represents the government of Canada. As Chief Minister, he should welcome the visiting the defence minister," Mr Khaira said.
Amarinder has also alleged that "these Khalistani sympathisers had last year prevailed upon the authorities to block his entry into Canada."
Mr Khaira demanded that Mr Singh immediately withdraw his remarks against Mr Sajjan.
The AAP leader said as the party's chief whip he would organise a welcome for the Canadian defence minister if Mr Singh continued to stay adamant
