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Two eyewitnesses invited to the reception, both of whom requested their names not be used, say there was also a brouhaha at the gates of the residence, when a group of young Sikh men poured out of a couple of cars and charged past those in the lineup.

One eyewitness says greeting the party-crashers, was Brampton, Ont., MP Raj Grewal and at least one of his assistants.

The eyewitness, who was near the front of the line and knows Grewal by sight, said the MP was arguing with an RCMP officer, who grew visibly upset as Grewal apparently insisted the men be let in.

In an email, Grewal flatly denied being embroiled in a commotion at the gate, and said he’d not helped anyone enter the party without an invitation. “Guests at the reception had invitations and were processed at registration,” he said last week.

The eyewitness account was supported by a second eyewitness, who was also in the line, though this man didn’t know the person who appeared to be helping the group.

“At least some if not all didn’t have invitations,” the first eyewitness said. “It was the MP and his friends who were pushing (the issue).

“There were Indians in the lineup, people from different embassies. It was really upsetting.”