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Singh says he has been asked to condemn terrorism many times and always has and always will.

The opinion piece comes as Singh finds himself defending his appearances at a number of other events in recent years which promoted the idea of Sikh independence, including one in which he is seen sitting quietly beside a Sikh leader in England who says his vision of Sikhism endorses “violence as a legitimate source of resistance and survival.”

Singh needs to do more to denounce such sentiments, said Ujjal Dosanjh, a former federal Liberal health minister, ex-premier of British Columbia and a Sikh who is a vocal critic of Sikh separatism.

A politician standing next to a fascist doing a Nazi salute is expected to speak out, as is a politician standing next to someone who promotes violence in the name of a cause, Dosanjh said in an interview.

“Unless he totally disavows that and much more, he shouldn’t aspire to lead a political party, to be the prime minister of the country,” he said.

“That’s not to say he’s not a good man but his views that come across from many of these things are views that are totally antithetical to the idea of a secular Canada.”

Singh’s condemnation of Parmar is welcome, but he must now reach out to those who disagree and help them understand the truth, Dosanjh continued.

In Thursday’s column, Singh — who was born in Canada to Sikh immigrants from the Indian state of Punjab — says his words and actions are informed by the experiences of his family and Sikh history, which is complex and often tragic.