NSA who blamed India for sabotaging Trudeau's trip stopped from testifying in Canada parliament

Canada's Liberal Member of Parliament (MPs) on Thursday blocked a Conservative motion to get Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's national security adviser Daniel Jeana to testify before a committee about his theory that factions in Indian government were behind the furore over Pro-Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal.

According to the CTV news, the Liberals used their majority on the Commons' national security committee to block the motion.

Minister Ralph Goodale, who was at the committee to discuss his department's spending estimates, also declined to discuss Jean's theory.

‘I don’t wade into operational discussions because that is not in the best interest of Canada," he said.

Earlier this, Prime Minister Trudeau did not refute the conspiracy theory that Indian government factions sabotaged his trip by approving the visa for Atwal.

Responding to a Conservative leader's question about the "allegations" made by a senior government security source, Trudeau had said, "When one of our top diplomats and security officials says something to Canadians it's because they know it to be true." Adding that it was the previous Conservative government that "torqued the public service every possible way they could."

The fallout from Justin Trudeau’s India visit is still being felt in Canada with the Opposition targeting Trudeau and the Liberal Party. After Trudeau’s NSA alleged that the invitation to Atwal was arranged by some elements in the Indian government to ‘sabotage’ Trudeau’s visit, India rejected the allegations as baseless and acceptable.

Picking up New Delhi’s scent, the Opposition are asking Trudeau to respond to India’s rebuttal. The Opposition party is moving a motion in parliament on Thursday to condemn Khalistani separatists and pledge support to India's unity.

The motion says: "That the House:

(a) values the contributions of Canadian Sikhs and Canadians of Indian origin in our national life;

(b)Condemn in the strongest terms all forms of terrorism, including Khalistani extremism and the glorification of any individuals who have committed acts of violence to advance the cause of an independent Khalistani state in India; and

(c) Stand with a united India." It will be interesting to see how Trudeau and many Sikh MPs of his party respond to the motion.

Meanwhile, Liberal MP Randeep Sarai has announced that he will stepping down as caucus chair. He said: “I want to again apologize for my role in recent unfortunate events. Moving forward, I will be exercising better judgment. As I don't want to distract from the good work of the Pacific Caucus, I will be stepping down as caucus chair.”

On Feb 28, India asserted it had nothing to do with the presence of convicted Khalistan terrorist Jaspal Atwal at an event in Mumbai or the invitation extended to him to a reception by the Canadian High Commissioner here last week during Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's India visit.

The External Affairs Ministry's strong reaction came after reports in the Canadian media said Trudeau was standing by a senior government official from that country who floated the theory that "rogue" political factions in India orchestrated the embarrassing invitation to Atwal to make his government appear sympathetic to Sikh extremism.

Insisting that India had nothing to do with Atwal's presence at the Mumbai event or the invitation for the reception, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said any suggestion to the contrary was "baseless and unacceptable".

"We have seen the recent exchange in the Parliament of Canada regarding two invitations issued to Jaspal Atwal by the Canadian High Commissioner, for functions hosted in honour of the Canadian Prime Minister in India.

"Let me categorically state that the government of India, including the security agencies, had nothing to do with the presence of Jaspal Atwal at the event hosted by the Canadian High Commissioner in Mumbai or the invitation issued to him for the Canadian High Commissioner's reception in New Delhi," Kumar said.

The controversy surrounding Atwal erupted last week after he was photographed with Trudeau's wife Sophie Gregoire at the event in Mumbai.

He was also invited to the dinner reception at the Canadian High Commissioner's residence in Delhi. The invitation was later withdrawn.

A report in Canadian newspaper 'The Star' said Trudeau was standing by a senior government official who suggested factions within the Indian government were involved in sabotaging the prime minister's visit to India.

It said, however, Trudeau accepted the offer of Liberal MP Randeep Sarai to step down as the chair of the Pacific Caucus. Sarai had taken responsibility for the invite to Atwal.

A report in the 'Vancouver Sun' said in a background briefing arranged by the Canadian Prime Minister's Office, a government official last week suggested that Atwal's presence was arranged by factions within the Indian government which wanted to prevent Prime Minister Narendra Modi from getting close to the Canadian government and to give the impression that the Trudeau regime was not committed to a united India.

Conservatives identified the official as Trudeau's national security adviser, Daniel Jean, and they pressed Trudeau to say whether he agreed with Jean's "conspiracy theory", 'The Star' newspaper said in a report.

It reported that during his first "question period" since returning to Canada, opposition MPs grilled Trudeau yesterday about invitations issued to Atwal.

Atwal was a Sikh separatist active in the banned International Sikh Youth Federation when he was convicted for attempting to murder Punjab minister Malkiat Singh Sidhu in Vancouver in 1986.

With inputs from PTI