Two AAP legislators — Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Amarjit Singh Sandoa, who were denied entry at Canada’s Ottawa Airport in July, are now eligible to visit the country.
The information was shared by the Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj with Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rana Kanwar Pal Singh.
Swaraj informed the Speaker that the two members of the Punjab Legislative Assembly, whose entry to Canada was denied at Ottawa Airport on July 21, 2018, are eligible to enter Canada at any time, in future.
“I have been informed that the Canadian Border Services Agency has conveyed to our Mission in Ottawa that due to privacy legislation, they are unable to provide further details in the matter. However, they have also conveyed that Kultar Singh and Amarjit Singh are eligible to return to Canada,” she said.
Swaraj informed the Indian High Commission in Ottawa has strongly raised the matter with the Canadian Government, seeking the circumstances and reasons for this deplorable action by the Canadian immigration authorities.
“We will continue to pursue such matters with the Canadian side to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future,” she said. Swaraj, in her letter, also urged the Speaker “to kindly ensure that Government of India's guidelines on foreign travels are followed by the legislators in the future and Our Mission and Posts in Canada are kept informed about travels”.
Earlier, expressing serious concern over the discourteous treatment to Sandhwan and Sandoa at the Canadian Airport, Rana KP had written to the External Affairs Minister for an action in the matter on July 25.
Expressing gratitude for the External Affairs Minister's efforts in the matter, the Speaker Rana KP has advised all the MLAs to follow the prescribed procedure for their visit to abroad including obtaining of political clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs and providing prior information to Indian Missions abroad, even for their private visits.