Vancouver/ Canada (August 29, 2013): It is learnt that the Canada has not refused protection to Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who recently cancelled his trip to Vancouver citing security reasons.
Jean-Bruno Villeneuve, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (Canada) reportedly clarified that: “[w]e never received a formal request for security, so such a request could not have been refused”.
It is notable that Sukhbir Badal was scheduled to visit Vancouver in September but cancelled his visit alleging that the Canadian government failed to give him an assurance about his security. His decision comes in the wake of reports of the upcoming protests and legal action by Sikh groups during his visit to Vancouver.
Various Sikh organisations, Canadian Sikh Coalition (CSC) and Sikhs for Justice (SJF) were gearing up to file a litigation against Sukhbir Badal for violations of human rights committed by Punjab police under the Badal regime’s rule in Punajb.