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Jaspal Atwal didn’t just try to kill a prominent Indian politician, he was charged for attacking another activist who’d go on to become a Liberal cabinet minister.

And that minister went on to warn successive governments about cozying up to Sikh extremists, to little avail.

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It’s now been widely reported that Atwal, the man who had been invited to attend a dinner with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in India, had been convicted of attempted murder in 1987 after shooting moderate Sikh politician Malkiat Singh Sidhu.

“Sindhu’s car windows were smashed and he was shot five times, but survived the attempted assassination,” wrote Candice Malcolm in the Sun. The incident has gone on to further damage Canada – India relations.

But that incident was not Atwal’s first encounter with violence. “He actually physically attacked me in the parking lot of my law office when I was trying to get home one Friday evening,” says Ujjal Dosanjh, who served as NDP Premier of British Columbia from 2000 – 2001 and federal Liberal minister of health from 2004 – 2006. The assault happened in February 1985, Dosanjh explained on National Post Radio.