Abbotsford, Canada: Punjab ministers and senior leaders of Shiromani Akali Dal Badal continue to face wrath of Sikh diaspora in Canada and USA. After ‘high level’ delegations of SAD (Badal) faced strong opposition during their conferences at Toronto and New York, Badal Dal conference in Abbotsford (on July 19) also witnessed a similar situation.
As per information hundreds of Sikh protesters surrounded the venue and majority of Badal Dal leaders were not able to attend the conference. On the other hand Sikh protesters held a massive protest rally and raised slogans against Punjab government and Badal regime.
Abbotsford conference was organised by Indo-Canadian Youth Club. According to a news reported by Daily Ajit, the Abbotsford conference was set to be attended by Punjab minister Sikander Singh Maluka, Hari Singh Zira, MLA Manpreet Singh Eyali, MLA NK Sharma, MLA S R Kaler and MLA Sarabjit Singh Makkar besides other leaders of Badal Dal. These leaders had declared to listen to the problems of ‘NRIs’ and offer solutions. However these leaders were themselves caught in problem when they could not even enter the conference hall.
Top: Sikhs protesting against Badal Dal rally | Bottom: MLA N K Sharma addressing the conference.
Only N K Sharma was able to enter the venue. Daily Ajit notes that N K Sharma addressed a limited gathering of organizers and local resident. It further notes that many protesters were also able to enter the conference hall and they started questioning N K Sharma soon after he finished his speech.
A video that has surfaced over social media networks show that N K Sharma was not able to offer any satisfactory answers to questions posed by some youth. They were pressing N K Sharma to offer explanation on Bapu Surat Singh’s hunger strike and rampant drug abuse in Punjab. Sharma was later escorted off the venue by Canadian police.
The police then directed the organisers stop the conference with immediate effect in wake of strong protests against the event.
Punjab police is better than Canadian police: says upset Sikandar Maluka
Angry over the protests, Punjab minister Sikandar Maluka criticised the Canadian police. In a video message he claimed that there were only 10-15 persons who were protesting against them. He said that the Canadian police was very inefficient as it failed to control 10-15 persons. However according to Daily Ajit there were at-least 700 protesters.
Sikandar Maluka criticises Canadian police
He said that Punjab police was more efficient than Canadian police as ‘this thing could not have happened in Punjab’.
Netizens jog Maluka’s memory
Sikandar Maluka said that everyone should have the freedom of expression and no one should be prevented from sharing his views. Some netizens have sought to remind him about an incident that took place in Bathinda a few years ago when the minister had assaulted unemployed protesters, including women.
Sikandar Maluka was involved in thrashing of unemployeed youth, incluidng women, in Bathidna. Photo- Time Now
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Anger against patronisation and accommodation of Human Rights abusers:
As per reports Sikh diaspora sections accused Badal Dal for patronising and accommodating human rights abusers like Punjab DGP Sumedh Saini, Izhar Alam and Pinky Cat.
“Akali Sarkar Sikh virodhi karvayian bandh karke Sumedh Saini, Izhar Alam, Pinky Cat jehe Sikhan de kaatlan di pushtpanahi band kare” (Badal government should stop anti-Sikh activities including patronisation of killers like Sumedh Saini, Izhar Alam and Pinky Cat”, Daily Ajit quotes a protester named Dharam Singh.