Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu on Thursday slammed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Parliament, saying that the money of those Canadians involved in narcotics trade in Punjab is being pumped into the premier's party and that is why he is making statements against India.
Participating in a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the success of Chandrayaan-3 mission, the opposition member raised the issue of India-Canada diplomatic row and attacked the Canadian government, saying anybody who tries to divide Sikhs will be given a befitting reply.
Supporting the government's foreign policy on the issue, Bittu said, "Our foreign policy from Jawaharlal Nehru to PM Narendra Modi ji has been of non-alignment. The Congress has also taken a strong stance on what the Canadian PM has said in their Parliament." He said India has always taken its own stance on foreign policy issues, be it with respect to China, Russia or the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
"So this has irked many countries, this has never happened. The Canadian PM is speaking against our country and our prime minister in his Parliament. When Trudeau's father was the prime minister, Kanishka bombing took place, even investigation of that could not take place," he said, referring to the bombing of an Air India flight in 1985.
In an explosive statement in the House of Commons this Monday, Trudeau had said Canada was looking at 'credible allegations potentially linking' Indian agents to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Khalistani terrorist. He was shot dead by two gunmen in Surrey on June 18.
India had designated Nijjar a terrorist in 2020.
The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday had trashed Trudeau's comments asserting that "such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India's sovereignty and territorial integrity." On the Canadian PM's remarks, Bittu said Nijjar was a terrorist and even though investigation is ongoing they have put the blame on Indian agencies.
"Out of the top 10 of Punjab government's most wanted list, eight are in Canada. They have been given refuge there. Several gurdwaras are in control of such people who are involved in narcotics trade and they give funds to Trudeau's party," Bittu said.
He said such Canadians are also controlling the narcotics trade in Punjab.
Taking a jibe at Trudeau over the malfunction in his plane delaying his departure from India after attending the G20 summit, Bittu said, "If your plane had a malfunction, is it our fault?"
He said, "99.5 per cent of people are with the country and 0.5 per cent are with Trudeau. The narcotics trade...international image of Canada will be spoilt."
"Our country is a power in the world, we will not bow before these countries, we can pick up Pannu (a terrorist in Canada) even from there by doing surgical strike. Canada should not be in any illusion and if they try to divide Sikhs they will get a befitting reply," the Congress MP asserted.