PIO who tripped Trudeau runs internet radio in BC

JALANDHAR

: Who is Jaspal Atwal, the Canadian national of Punjabi origin, who is becoming a major embarrassment for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his ongoing visit to India? Atwal runs Vancouver-based Media

Waves

internet radio network which has programmes on everything from news on Trump and NFL American football league to constant streaming of Gurbani. The radio station also has a series on the history of the

Khalistani movement

.

Originally from Pharala village in village in Punjab's Nawanshahr district, Atwal was convicted in Canada for an attempt on the life of a visiting Akali minister from Punjab Malkiat Singh Sidhu in 1986. Three others Jasbir Singh Atwal, Sukhdial Singh Gill and Amarjit Sngh Dhindsa were also convicted with him. They were awarded 20 years' imprisonment and a ban on owning firearms and explosives for another 25 years and the trial judge had described the attack on Sidhu as "an act of terrorism."

Sidhu was minister of state for planning and the cooperative department in the

Surjit Singh Barnala

government in Punjab when the attempt was made on his life at Vancouver Island in May 1986. He was in a car when the assailants shot at him at night and his car was run off the road on the isolated West Coast of Vancouver Island. Police had then said that he was shot at four times. At that time, his wife and two other relatives were accompanying him.

Also accused of assaulting Dosanjh

Atwal was given parole in 1992. While presenting his case before the parole board, he admitted that he was the one who pulled the trigger in the assassination bid.

Atwal was also accused of assaulting and injuring Ujjal Dosanjh in February 1985, apparently over the ongoing violence in Punjab at the time, but he was later acquitted in the case. Dosanjh went on to become a British Columbia premier and federal minister and now says he nurses no grudge against Atwal.

Atwal also got embroiled in a car sale fraud case later.

Nawashahr is part of the Doaba region of central Punjab, which is also heartland of

Punjabi NRIs

. Pharala has a predominant population of the Atwal community. Inquiries at the village revealed that none of members of his immediate family live there anymore. Atwal last visited the village about a year back.

One of his relatives in the village, who did not want to be named, told TOI that Atwal could not visit India for several years because of his alleged links to hardliners and the conviction, putting him on the no-go list of the ministry of external affairs.

His father, Gurdev Singh, had moved base from Punjab to Madhya Pradesh and cultivated land there. It was from there that Jaspal migrated to Canada. He had become member of the International Sikh Youth Federation in Canada, banned in India, UK, USA and Canada, that seeks formation of Khalistan. In 2011, Atwal and his son were convicted for their role in a car sale fraud ring and were found liable for special and punitive damages.

Following Trudeau’s comments, Randeep Sarai, the Liberal MP from Surrey in British Columbia, tweeted that he alone was responsible for the invite to Atwal and also that he apologised “without reservation” for the situation.

Looking to prevent the issue from flaring up, the Indian foreign ministry quickly responded to Trudeau’s clarification saying the Canadian side had taken note of India’s concerns by withdrawing the invite and that it was time to move on. Canada is also said to have assured the government that the person responsible for the “oversight” would be held accountable.

Trudeau’s ongoing visit to India has been marred by what many in the government describe as his Liberal government’s disinclination to rein in Khalistan supporters. Indian officials had earlier privately expressed reservation over the fact that Trudeau initially seemed reluctant to meet Punjab CM Amarinder Singh.

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