Upset with its security force being branded as human rights violator, India has taken up the matter with Canada that denied entry to a retired Central Reserve Police Force officer at its Vancouver Airport after immigration authorities deemed him to have served a force that engages in "terrorism, systematic or gross human rights violations, or genocide".
"We have seen the news report regarding denial of entry by Canadian authorities to a senior retired Indian police officer. Such a characterisation of a reputed force like the CRPF is completely unacceptable. We have taken up the matter with the Government of Canada," said Gopal Baglay, spokesperson with Ministry of External Affairs.
Tejinder Singh Dhillon, a retired Inspector-General of Police from the CRPF, and his wife were pulled aside during the initial immigration check at the Vancouver Airport. Both had valid visas for entry to the country. He was declared inadmissible under a subsection of Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. A document given to Dhillon at the airport stated he was a "prescribed senior official in the service of a Government that, in the opinion of the Minister, engages or has engaged in terrorism, systematic or gross human rights violations, or genocide, a war crime or a crime against humanity".
Dhillon told the media that the immigration officers interrogated him for nearly 12 hours at the airport during which the officers behaved in an "unreasonable and indecent manner", accusing him of having either participated or having knowledge of human rights violations by the CRPF. later his visa was cancelled and both Dhillon and his wife were deported back to India.
Dhillon was also handed over a document at the airport which said he was a "prescribed senior official in the service of a Government that, in the opinion of the Minister, engages or has engaged in terrorism, systematic or gross human rights violations, or genocide, a war crime or a crime against humanity". It added that Dhillon could not be granted entry to Canada as he had served with the CRPF, which had "committed widespread and systemic human rights abuses, for example torture, arbitrary detention, murder and sexual assault" and that he had knowledge of all these atrocities done by his organisation but took no action to distance himself from CRPF.
Clarifying on behalf on his Government, Canadian High Commission in India Nadir Patel said: "We regret any inconvenience... the language does not reflect the Government of Canada’s policy toward India or any particular organisation.”