Former Canadian Minister Calls Justin Trudeau 'Idiot' Amid Row With India Over Khalistan Issue

Former minister Ujjal Dosanjh criticised Trudeau for misunderstanding Sikhs, asserting most oppose Khalistan due to fear of violence.

Former Canadian minister asserted that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is "sociologically and politically" an "idiot", stating that he has never truly understood that the vast majority of Sikhs are quite secular in their outlook and want nothing to do with Khalistan.

Ujjal Dosanjh, a Sikh and former federal cabinet minister under Prime Minister Paul Martin, expressed in a column for the National Post that Prime Minister Trudeau's approach has inadvertently empowered Khalistani extremists, instilling fear among moderate Sikhs in Canada.

“A silent majority of the Sikhs do not want to have anything to do with Khalistan. They just don’t speak out because they’re afraid of violence and violent repercussions,” he said.

Dosanjh stated that Trudeau "never really understood the vast majority of Sikhs are quite secular in their outlook, despite the fact that they go to the temple”.

“Khalistanis are not a majority, and the fact nobody speaks against them is out of fear,” he added.

Dosanjh remarked that Khalistani supporters have control over many temples in Canada, and he attributed the perception to Trudeau's actions, stating, “Canadians now equate Khalistanis with Sikhs, as if all Sikhs are Khalistanis.”

“We were MPs from 2008 to 2011 together, and I had a long chat with him about identity and religion and all that, with all of these Khalistanis sitting around the table. And he agreed with them, rather than me,” Dosanjh added while recalling a debate with Trudeau when both of them were parliamentarians.

The former minister emphasised that the vast majority of the nearly 800,000 Sikhs in Canada do not support the Khalistani movement.

“I’d say less than five per cent, less than five per cent,” Dosanjh said.

The relations between India and Canada came under severe strain following Prime Minister Trudeau's allegations in September last year of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in Khalistan extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing.

(With PTI Inputs)