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During question period on Monday, Scheer called on Trudeau to apologize to the Indian government for any suggestion it was involved in the Atwal affair, referring to comments Trudeau made in the House of Commons on Feb. 27 in support of Jean’s claims. “When one of our top diplomats and security officials says something to Canadians it’s because they know it to be true,” Trudeau said at the time.

Photo by CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP/Getty Images

In response, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale advised Scheer to accept a long-standing offer of a full classified briefing on the incident. “The leader of the opposition and the opposition generally is not fully informed of all of the facts that they need to know to understand the situation,” he said.

Scheer said earlier this month that he would accept the classified briefing, but insisted that Jean should speak publicly as well, something the Conservatives have been demanding for weeks. Last month, they orchestrated a nearly 24-hour filibuster after the Liberals defeated a motion to have Jean testify before the committee.

During his appearance on Monday, Jean said he spoke with the clerk of the privy council office during that filibuster, and agreed that he would testify as soon as the “ping-pong game in the House” was over. The new National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians is also reviewing the incident and will provide a classified report, and an unclassified version to be tabled in the House.

Atwal was invited to the New Delhi reception by Liberal MP Randeep Sarai, which Trudeau has said was a mistake. In an interview with the Hindustan Times published on Monday, Atwal flatly denied that the Indian government had any involvement in his presence. “The result will be that there will be a reckoning between the falsehoods and the truth and the reality will emerge,” he said. “And Prime Minister Trudeau and his people will have to apologize to the Indian government and to Jaspal Atwal.”

• Email: mforrest@postmedia.com | Twitter: MauraForrest