Ottawa says ‘closely monitoring’ situation in Punjab | World News

Ottawa is “closely monitoring the situation” in Punjab for developments related to the hunt for Waris Punjab De leader Amritpal Singh and the arrest of several of his associates.

The government’s first official statement on the matter was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s reply in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

“We look forward to a swift return to a more stable situation,” Trudeau said.

He was answering a question from the NDP or NDP leader Jagmeet Singh.

However, Trudeau did not address other issues raised by Singh. He said the NDP, which backs the minority Liberal government, has demanded that Canada “boycott G20 events in Chandigarh and Kashmir” and “ban officials from the Bharatiya Janata Party who issued death threats against Canadians from entering Canada.”

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly made a similarly cautious statement in the House of Commons on Thursday when she answered a question from Indo-Cana MP Iqwinder S Gaheer. “We are aware of the evolving situation in Punjab and we are following it closely. We look forward to returning to a more stable situation,” she said, adding, “You can always count on the Government of Canada to ensure that we will continue to address the concerns of many members of the community. Worry.”

She applauded the MP for raising his concerns, which the minister said were shared by many members of the House.

In a series of tweets on March 18, Singh said he was “deeply concerned by reports that India has suspended civil liberties and imposed an internet blockade across the state of Punjab”.

He made similar comments as a preface to his question in the House on Wednesday, as he claimed that “the Indian government has suspended mobile phone services, internet services and social media accounts, in addition to preventing journalists from reporting what is going on, in Punjab. .”

“Why is the prime minister silent on this?” he asked.

His previous tweets referred to “draconian measures” in the context of what he called the “1984 Sikh genocide”.

Following his comments, several Canadian leaders expressed concern on social media, including at least four Liberal MPs and two Conservative MPs.

Singh’s Twitter account, along with those of other Canadians who have been outspoken on the matter, were reportedly hidden in India at the request of the authorities.