‘Trudeau will not let normalcy return until…’: Capt Amarinder Singh makes BIG claim amid Khalistan row with Canada

Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh lashed out at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday for “ruining” ties with India. The remarks came amid an escalating diplomatic row — days after both countries expelled diplomats in tit-for-tat moves.

“Trudeau is interested in only one thing and that is getting the Sikh votes for his own election. He will not let normalcy return until the elections are over. …he does not care what happens. He cannot win unless he takes the support of the Khalistanis. He has done this earlier also. He is promoting Khalistanis,” Captain Amarinder Singh told reporters.

The senior BJP leader also recalled a 2018 visit by the Canadian Prime Minister during his term in office as Punjab CM. Singh said that he had also refused to meet the then Canadian defence minister Harjit Sajjan during his visit to India and called him a "Khalistani sympathiser".

“When Trudeau came here, he wanted to meet me. I said I do not want to meet him. He wanted to visit Punjab. Then the government of India took a stand and said if you do not go and meet the chief minister, you cannot go to Punjab. Then we had to meet,” he said.

Ties between India and Canada had deteriorated last year after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cited “credible allegations” that agents of the Indian government — including recalled envoy Sanjay Verma and other diplomats — were linked to the death of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. New Delhi has repeatedly denied the allegations — calling them "absurd" and "motivated" — and accused Canada of giving space to extremist and anti-India elements in their country.

The ongoing diplomatic row saw a fresh flare-up this month after Canada tagged the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats as "persons of interest" in the investigation. New Delhi had sunbsequently expelled Canadian Charge d'Affaires Stewart Wheeler and five other diplomats earlier this month. India also recalled its high commissioner and five more diplomats — with Canada insisting that the officials had been expelled.

(With inputs from agencies)