A YEAR after being denied permission to hold political rallies in Canada, Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday called Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan a “Khalistani sympathiser” and said he will not meet him when he visits India later this month.

“Harjit Sajjan is a Khalistani sympathiser, and so was his father,” Amarinder was quoted as saying in Off the Cuff show for NDTV 24×7. A release issued by the Chief Minister’s office quoted him saying, “In fact, there are five ministers in the Justin Trudeau government who were Khalistani sympathisers and I would not have any truck with them. These Khalistani sympathizers had prevailed upon the government to prevent my entry into Canada, where I wanted to go to meet my Punjabi brethren and not to campaign for elections.”

Amarinder had to cancel his rallies in Canada in April 2016 when he was denied permission following protests by the Sikhs for Justice organisation. Amarinder had shot off a letter of protest to Trudeau.

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