Amarinder flays Canadian Sikh leader's 'self-determination' remark

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday condemned Canada's New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh's remarks on "self-determination" for Punjab and said the Canadian authorities should take serious note of such disruptive elements trying to spread discord in India.

Amarinder Singh said that Jagmeet Singh "was obviously totally disconnected from the ground realities in India, where Sikhs hold a place of pride with their excellent achievements in every field".

He accused Jagmeet Singh of trying to destabilise Punjab by creating strife with his "ill-conceived and confrontational remarks".

Jagmeet Singh, in a statement, had said that he considers self-determination to be a "basic right" in places such as Punjab, Catalonia or Quebec.

"This was clearly designed to spread trouble in Punjab. My government will not allow any such attempt to succeed at any cost," Amarinder Singh said in a statement here.

"At a time when Punjab was working on a holistic development and revival agenda, Jagmeet was trying to whip up negative passions among the Sikh community. The newly-elected NDP (Nationalist Democratic Party) leader would not succeed in his nefarious designs as the people of Punjab wanted peace and stability," the Chief Minister declared.

Expressing a sense of pride at the contribution of the Sikh community worldwide, Amarinder Singh said: "Sikhs were known for their extraordinary accomplishments and for bringing accolades not only to India but to whichever country they were settled in. A handful of destructive elements could not undermine the achievements of the Sikhs."

He pointed out that radical outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), which operates in the US and Canada, had failed to trigger unrest in Punjab through its recent "Khalistan 2020 Referendum",' which Jagmeet Singh had echoed with his statement on self-determination.

The Chief Minister said that Jagmeet Singh's comments against Punjab amounted to "anti-India conspiracy" and hoped the Canadian government would take due cognizance of the same. He urged Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to ensure that his country's soil is not used for such treacherous assaults on India's integrity and security.

--IANS

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