Ottawa [Canada], November 4 : Former Canadian Minister Ujjal Dosanjh criticised Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for his handling of Sikh extremism in Canada, calling him an "idiot" both "sociologically and politically," the National Post reported on Sunday.
Recalling the debate he had with Trudeau, Ujjal criticised the Prime Minister for prioritising identity politics over shared Canadian values, arguing that a cohesive national identity is crucial for building a unified society.
"Justin (Trudeau) and I had a long debate in the lobby of the Commons when I was with him as an MP for a couple of years... We were MPs from 2008 to 2011 together, and I had a long chat with him about identity and religion and all that, with all of these Khalistanis sitting around the table. And he agreed with them rather than me," Dosanjh said.
"I was arguing that this extra special emphasis on uniqueness, exclusive identities, that it would become a deterrent to political, cultural and social integration... That ultimately you need shared values. It's basic; you need shared values," he added.
"Trudeau, sociologically and politically, is an idiot, and you can actually quote me; I really don't care. Because he's an imbecile in terms of understanding how you build nations, how you build countries," he declared, as reported by the National Post.
Dosanjh, a Sikh himself and also the former federal cabinet minister under former Prime Minister Paul Martin, argued that a significant number of Sikhs do not support the Khalistan movement but remain silent due to fear of violence. He emphasised that less than five per cent of Sikhs in Canada back Khalistan, the National Post reported.
"A silent majority of the Sikhs do not want to have anything to do with Khalistan. They just don't speak out because they're afraid of violence and violent repercussions...I'd say less than five per cent, less than five per cent," he said.
He attributes the rise of Khalistani influence in Canada to Trudeau's misunderstanding of the Sikh community, asserting that many Sikhs are secular and that intimidation from Khalistani supporters stifles dissent within their temples. He further feels that Trudeau's approach has led to a widespread perception that all Sikhs are associated with Khalistani sentiments, the National Post reported.
"One, he's (Trudeau) never really understood the vast majority of Sikhs are quite secular in their outlook, despite the fact that they go to the temple... Khalistanis are not a majority, and the fact nobody speaks against them is out of fear," Dosanjh said.
"Canadians now equate Khalistanis with Sikhs, as if we are all Khalistanis if we're Sikhs," he added, blaming Trudeau for it.
Ujjal suggested that Trudeau could improve Canada-India relations by adopting a more diplomatic and humble approach instead of making bold public statements that may misrepresent the complexities of the situation.
"It's just a matter of eating a bit of humble pie and saying, 'Look, let's start over again. India is a good friend.' That's all you do...That's how diplomacy works...Trudeau has approached the relationship strictly from the point of view of saying, 'I have this incriminating intelligence, and I want you to investigate," he said.
Tensions between India and Canada escalated after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged in Parliament last year that there were "credible allegations" of India's involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
India has firmly denied all such allegations, labelling them as "absurd" and "motivated," while accusing Canada of providing a haven for extremist and anti-India elements.
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