On March 20, the Twitter account of Canadian lawmaker Jagmeet Singh was withheld in India. If anyone tries to access his account from India, it reads, “@theJagmeetSingh’s account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand.” The action against him appeared to have been taken by the Government of India over his tweets on the ongoing operation against pro-Khalistani separatist Amritpal Singh in Punjab.
In a series of Tweets, Jagmeet expressed “concerns” over the ongoing operation in Punjab and compared the Punjab Government’s efforts to curb pro-Khalistani elements to the steps taken by the governments during the Punjab insurgency. He said, “I am deeply concerned by reports that India has suspended civil liberties and imposed an internet blackout throughout the state of Punjab.”
He added, “These draconian measures are unsettling for many given their historical use to execute extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances during the 1984 Sikh Genocide. I am calling on Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government to immediately contact their Indian counterparts to express concern regarding the suspension of civil liberties and the safety of Canadians abroad.”
This is not the first time Singh tried to meddle in India’s matters. During farmer protests, Jagmeet Singh was one of the leading voices from Canada to speak against the Govt of India. Questions were raised on his alleged role in getting Rihanna to tweet about the issue. Singh has been called out several times for his pro-Khalistani views. Interestingly, while he protested over the Indian Govt’s steps against protesting farmers, he supported the strict action taken by the Government of Canada against protesting Truckers who took on roads last year.
