Punjab CM’s ‘pro-Khalistan’ Sajjan is MEA’s war hero

CHANDIGARH: It is extremely rare for a state government and the Centre not to see eye to eye over the visit of a top functionary of a friendly country. But that is exactly what has happened in Punjab over the four-day tour of Canada’s defence minister Harjit Sajjan, which starts from April 19.
While chief minister Amarinder Singh has called Sajjan and his Sikh colleagues in the Canadian government pro-Khalistan sympathisers, the ministry of external affairs has called him a war hero.
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In its bio note sent to the Punjab government on April 5, MEA had described Sajjan as a man with an illustrious career “who has served Canada and his community” as both a soldier and a police officer.
The note lists his counter-terror assignments in Afghanistan as a roll of honour.” “Harjit is a retired lieutenant-colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces and a combat veteran. He was deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina and served three separate deployments in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
He has received numerous recognitions for his service including the Meritorious Service Medal for reducing the Taliban’s influence in Kandahar Province,” the note says and adds details of his service in the Vancouver Police.
When present US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley visited Punjab in November 2014 as the governor of North Carolina, the then Badal government had called her a state guest. Sajjan, however, will not get this honour.