ALLEGATIONS: B.C. politicians deny helping Sikh militants

Vikram Bajwa, Indian Overseas Congress president and ex Surrey mayoral candidate, claims that MP Nina Grewal and former MP Sukh Dhaliwal have raised funds for the Khalistan militant campaign — claims that the B.C. politicians strongly refute.

The Province

Two local politicians are sharply refuting claims made by the president of the Indian Overseas Congress that they have aided the Khalistan movement.

Indian media reported last week that Vikram Bajwa, the IOC president and former Surrey mayoral candidate, made allegations that Nina Grewal and Sukh Dhaliwal have travelled frequently to Pakistan to collect funds that were diverted to keep the Khalistan militant campaign, which seeks to create a separate Punjab state, alive.

Grewal, the Conservative MP for Fleetwood-Port Kells, and Dhaliwal, who was Liberal MP for Newton-North Delta from 2006 to 2011, both denied the report.

“[Bajwa] has made slanderous, false allegations against me that have not a shred of truth to them. He claims that I frequently visit Pakistan – although I’ve never been there. He claims I collected money while there for a Khalistan campaign – totally false and impossible since I’ve have never even visited the country,” said Grewal said in a statement.

“[He] has fabricated a story that has absolutely no basis in reality. His claims are without fact or merit.”

Dhaliwal issued a statement through his lawyer Leslie Mackoff, also refuting all claims made by Bajwa.
“Mr. Dhaliwal has been to Pakistan once in his life in conjunction with a trip to India in 2011. He has never provided support of any type to the Khalistan movement. It is abundantly clear to us that Mr. Bajwa is committed to making mischief without any factual foundation for doing so.”

Both Grewal and Dhaliwal’s lawyer demanded an immediately apology and retraction by Bajwa, and said that any publication of his claims would be slander.

The claim came on the heels of Foreign Minister John Baird assuring Indian reporters that Canada was committed to curbing extremist groups amidst reports of stepped-up activities of Khalistani militants.

“We are committed to doing whatever we can within the limits of the constitution to curb activities of such extremist groups in Canada,” Baird told reporters today in New Delhi during a joint press conference with Indian external affairs minister SM Krishna.

Khalistan activists have been campaigning for a separate homeland for Sikhs in India and their supporters are active in Greater Vancouver and Toronto.

“Once the activities of these groups are brought to our notice, we take action,” Baird said at a joint press interaction with Indian external affairs minister SM Krishna after their talks.

Bajwa said that Pakistan had been stoking the Khalistan fire among non-resident Indian Punjabis in the U.S. and Canada and also assisting in the electing of many Punjabi immigrants. Bajwa did not specify in his allegations who in Pakistan was providing support or how they were doing so.

Bajwa also took aim at a number of gurdwaras or Sikh temples in the U.S. and Canada that have kept Khalistan seals in their temples. He cited repeated examples of the Dashmesh Darbar gurdwara in Surrey flying pro-Khalistan banners and displaying pro-Khalistan seals. He said he would be meeting Akal Takht head priest Joginder Singh (temporal head) to make an appeal to him to issue a “hukamnaama” (edict) banning use of Khalistan seals in Sikh shrines.

Bajwa also made the bold claim that Pakistani agents had infiltrated the Indian media in Canada, thus disseminating distorted information about the Sikhs in Punjab.

“The second-generation are being misguided by these gurdwaras. It is wrongly influencing young minds.”

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