Jalandhar: A day after Punjab NRI minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA Tota Singh was greeted with stones and shoes by Sikhs in New York, similar protests outside the venue of a SAD function at Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, led to the local police cancelling it.
Punjab rural development and panchayat minister Sikandar Singh Maluka was to attend the gathering at Gian’s Sweet Shop and Restaurant on Sunday along with Akali leaders like Hoshiarpur MLA Surinder Singh Bhullewal Rathan. But, British Columbia Police scrapped the function on seeing scores of protesters, mostly Sikhs, raising slogans. A police sergeant announced that the function had been cancelled due to safety concerns and those who were inside would also come out.
The hunger strike by Sikh activist Surat Singh Khalsa at Hassanpur village in Ludhiana district is casting a shadow on SAD’s overseas drive to woo NRIs. While chief parliamentary secretary N K Sharma was able to address the gathering at Abbotsford before it was cancelled, he faced tough questions from people who attended it. An embarrassed Sharma, left in a huff. The issue had triggered sloganeering even in Toronto, New York and other places. Protesters even hooted at Canada-based Akali leaders when they came out of the function.
Upset over the cancellation, Maluka recorded a video terming the British Columbia Police as “Nalayak” (inefficient). He blamed the cops for “failure in performing their duty”, said they “could not protect VIPs like him” and sought action against them.
Showering praise on the Punjab Police, he said, “In Punjab, everybody is free to hold any function and if anybody tries to interfere, then our Punjab Police ensures that the function is held without any disruption.”
Netizens jog minister’s memory
Maluka’s video clip has gone viral on social media. Some netizens have sought to remind him about an incident that took place in Bathinda a few years ago when the minister had assaulted unemployed protesters, including women.
Only handful against SAD in US: Sukhbir
Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal on Monday said the Akali delegation is getting historic response in the US and Canada and the few people opposing the delegation are basically anti-national and anti-Punjab. In an official release, he said the SAD is least bothered about the opposition.
Note: Above write-up was originally published by the Times of India (TOI) under title: “Canadian Sikhs’ protest aborts SAD function” by IP Singh at source url: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Canadian-Sikhs-protest-aborts-SAD-function/articleshow/48153185.cms. It is reproduced as above, with minor adaptations, for the information of readers/ visitors of the Sikh Siyasat News.
Some people abroad do not understand situation in Punjab: Badal
On the one hand diaspora is grilling Punjab ministers with tough question about core realities in Punjab and many videos that have surfaced over social media show that Punjab ministers have nothing to offer in answer, but on the other hand CM Parkash Singh Badal is maintaining that diaspora people do not understand the situation in Punjab.
In answer to a specific question on the issue of opposition of SAD (Badal) ministers abroad, Punjab CM said: “There are some people who do not understand the situation, that what is situation in Punjab (and) unnecessarily keep doing such things there. This results in loss to Punjab. Punjab has seen very bad days, do we want to bring back those black days? Punjab government is committed to uphold law and order and communal harmony”.