Ontario, Canada (January 13, 2014): Amid reports that members of the ruling Conservative party of Canada and NDP, the official opposition attended a Summit hosted by Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) aka SAD (Badal), a political party of the State of Punjab, who are recently accused of drug trade, “Sikhs For Justice” (SFJ), a human rights group have approached PM Harper demanding to ban entry of SAD (Badal) members to Canada.
January 10 communiqué addressed to Prime Minister of Canada urged that SAD (Badal) headed by Sukhbir Badal with the patronage of Chief Minister of Punjab Parkash Badal, is responsible for protecting, shielding and promoting the police force responsible for the torture and extrajudicial killings of Sikh Citizens of Canada. Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), section 35(1)(a) the members of SAD (Badal) are inadmissible because of overwhelming evidence that they have ‘committed, outside Canada, torture and extrajudicial killings’ further states the rights groups memorandum.
Conservative MP’s Tim Uppal, Bal Gosal and NDP MP Jasbir Sandhu are in India to attend a two day conference hosted by the Cabinet Minister Bikram Majithia, who heads NRI affairs Ministry under SAD (Badal). Minister Majithia is accused of running a drug trade with the full cooperation of the State Police headed by Sumedh Saini and is being investigated for transporting multi-million drugs to Canada with the help of members of SAD (Badal).
Sikh rights group, International Policy Director, Canada, Jatinder Singh Grewal, stated that Canada is being frequented by high ranking members of SAD (Badal) at the time when drugs use is on rise throughout the country, making it very suspicious that there is possible nexus of drug racketeering by members of the political party of Punjab. We have approached the Government of Canada to ban the entry of members of SAD (Badal) into Canada and investigate the ongoing accusations of their involvement in transporting drugs to Canada, added Grewal.
The Sikh rights group communiqué demanded that Canadian law imposes a mandatory duty on Canada to ban the entry of SAD (Badal) members to Canada under the IRPA; or, on entering Canada, SAD (Badal) members are arrested to ensure that they will not receive safe haven from prosecution and Canada initiates prosecution of SAD (Badal) members for protecting, shielding and commanding a police force responsible for the torture and extrajudicial killings of Sikh Citizens of Canada.
Citing the recent report of Christof Heyns, UN, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal advisor to SFJ, who practices international human rights law, stated that SAD (Badal) government is protecting, shielding and promoting the police force responsible for the extra-judicial killings of the Sikh Citizens of Canada and the law imposes a duty on the Canadian government to ban the entry of such human rights violators into the country.
SAD (Badal) members who are frequently visiting Canada includes Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, a Member of Indian Parliament, Charanjit Singh Atwal, Speaker Punjab State assembly, Dr. Daljeet Singh Cheema and other senior members of the Badal government.