Have proof of ‘Khalistanis’ funding AAP: Amarinder

Thursday, 30/06/2016

http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

CHANDIGARH: Embittered by stalling of his poll campaign in Canada by those he dubs as sympathisers of Khalistan and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday claimed he has proof that Khalistanis were funding the party of Arvind Kejriwal in Punjab.

Amarinder, who has directly accused some Canadian ministers of “Khalistan leanings”, said an inquiry into funding of AAP will establish the “link” and explain frequent tours of some Punjab AAP leaders to North America.

Refusing to name the ministers, he said it is well known that some ministers of the Justin Trudeau government have World Sikh Organisation (WSO) background. “The WSO was the umbrella for Khalistanis abroad. The Government of India needs to find out through its intelligence agencies, who is funding AAP. The way AAP leaders sprung to defence of these Canadian ministers betrays their links. First, the Khalistanis abroad funded Simranjit Singh Mann and now they are supporting AAP which is why the party (AAP) is so aggressive in taking up cudgels for them,” Amarinder told HT on Wednesday.

The AAP should also come clean on its funding, he added.

Notably, after four Sikh ministers were sworn in by Trudeau, the North American media, including Washington Post, had reported Canadian defence minister Harjit Singh Sajjan has a WSO background. Canadian papers had also linked Navdeep Bains, Canadian minister for science and economic development, to the WSO.

In his letter to Trudeau, Amarinder has accused his government of bias. “The overseas cell of BJP held a two-day convention on June 19 in Toronto to celebrate two years of Modi government, after I was denied permission for my programmes. Before that, AAP leaders have been holding their programmes. It seems these ministers used their influence on Canadian foreign ministry on the behest of hardline group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) just in my case,” he added. CAPT MAKING MOCKERY OF HIMSELF: SFJ

Though none of the Canadian ministers reacted to Amarinder’s assertion in the media, the SFJ accused Captain of making “mischievous” allegations. “Captain was ordered not to hold political gatherings in Canada as the law does not allow that. Why is to so difficult for him to understand a simple law, probably because Congress chief never followed one. He had signed the Amritsar declaration and is signatory to Sikhs right to self-determination demand along with Akali leaders,” SFJ legal adviser Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said in an email statement.

Amarinder denied being a signatory to the declaration saying it was made on the call of Akal Takht as Simranjit Singh Mann had refused to accept everything, including the Indian constitution. “I was a part of an Akali faction and it was one step backward but my stand on Khalistan has been always clear and 17 of our candidates were killed by terrorists in the 1992 state elections,” he said.