Sikh rights group moves court to seek arrest of Amarinder

There was "high drama" over the six-day visit of Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh to Canada, with a US-based rights group moving a Toronto court demanding his arrest over alleged atrocities committed during his tenure as chief minister.
According to sources, Gurpatwant Singh Pannu of rights group 'Sikhs for Justice' has moved a court in Toronto seeking directions to arrest Amarinder on his arrival there.
Amarinder, who came here on April 19 and addressed NRI gatherings here, was to fly to Toronto today but had to cancel his flight and was forced to wait for the court decision.
Sources said the petition moved by "Sikhs for Justice" is demanding restraining orders on him.

The petition alleges that Amarinder during his chief ministership between 2002 and 2007 promoted certain police officers who allegedly committed human rights excesses against Canadian Sikhs in India during the dark days of militancy in the state.
"This is an attempt to thwart my meetings with NRIs while trying to reach out to them. These are a handful of people utilising such events to make money. They have tried to do the same with Congress President and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh," Amarinder told PTI.

He said he is awaiting the verdict of the Canadian court and will only then proceed to the country, where he intends to meet NRIs and interact with them in small gatherings.

"I had to cancel my morning flight due to this incident. I am awaiting the verdict of the court and our people are arguing in the court there," he said.
The Canadian government has restrained Amarinder from holding public meetings in their country.
Amarinder is scheduled to address gatherings of NRIs in Toronto and Vancouver and will then return to United States to address NRIs in San Fransisco and New York, besides a few other places.
Describing the Canadian government's move to disallow his interactions with NRIs in Toronto and Vancouver as a "gag order", Amarinder wrote to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to lodge his protest over the development.

Amarinder was informed by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar that the Canadian government has not allowed his public interactions during his proposed visit to Canada beginning April 23.