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Jaspal Atwal
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'''Jaspal Sing Atwal''' (born 1955) is a convicted murderer, Indo-Canadian businessman, a [[Khalistan|Khalistani]] supporter, and a former member of the now-banned [[Sikhism]] extremist group [[International Sikh Youth Federation]]. He was among four [[Sikhism in Canada|Canadian Sikhs]] who attempted to assassinate [[Punjab, India|Punjab]] minister [[Malkiat Singh Sidhu]] in 1986.<ref name=NationalPost/> He was involved in the 1985 attack of [[List of premiers of British Columbia|33rd]] [[Premier of British Columbia]] [[Ujjal Dosanjh]], a strong opposer of the [[Khalistan|Khalistani]] movement.<ref name=NationalPost/> In 2010, he was accused of being part of in an automobile fraud case but was ruled out by the Supreme Court of Canada.<ref name=NationalPost/> In February 2018, Atwal gained attention when he was invited by [[Canada]] prime minister [[Justin Trudeau]] to a reception during a visit to [[India]] and would eventually have his invitation revoked the next day. That same year, he was arrested for issuing death threats to a local radio in [[British Columbia]].
==Background==
Jaspal Atwal was originally from [[Pharala]] near a [[Phagwara]] district in [[Punjab, India]].<ref name=ThePrint>https://ift.tt/2sTtBk9> He left for [[Canada]] at a young age and claimed to study at [[British Columbia Institute of Technology]].<ref name=TheHindu>https://ift.tt/2JGNUHT> He visited [[India]] once in the past few years, with a [[Facebook]] post of him visiting the [[Taj Mahal]].<ref name=ThePrint/> He is involved in construction business and is currently associated with Media Wave Communications, which runs a Surrey-based online radio station.<ref name=TheHindu/> He was also involved in numerous liberal campaigns and was seen taking pictures with hockey star [[Wayne Gretzky]] and other liberal politicians such as [[Sukh Dhaliwal]], [[Justin Trudeau]], and [[Michael Ignatieff]].<ref name=TornotoStar/><ref name=TheStar/>
==Controversies==
===Assassination attempts===
In 1985, Atwal was charged in an attack [[Ujjal Dosanjh]], a strong opposer of the Khalistan movement, but was later acquitted.<ref name=NationalPost/> Dosanjh stated that Atwal attacked him with an iron bar over his opposition to Sikh extremism.<ref name=TheGlobeAndMail>https://ift.tt/2Mn3SJ0> The attack left Dosanjh severely injured with 80 stiches and a broken hand.<ref name=TheGlobeAndMail/> Senior Punjab journalist Baljit Singh Balli, who met Atwal, claimed that Atwal was not involved in any attack and that he was being wrongly charged.<ref name="ThePrint"/> Dosanjh would go on to be the 33rd [[Premier of British Columbia]].<ref name=ThePrint/>
On May 25, 1986, Atwal was among four men involved in attempting to assassinate Punjib minister [[Malkiat Singh Sidhu]].<ref name=NationalPost/> He was convicted for murderer and was sentenced to 20 years in jail, where he served 5 years before being paroled.<ref name=TheStar/> At the time of the attempted assassin, Sidhu was visiting [[Vancouver]] for a wedding and was forced off an isolated road near [[Gold River, British Columbia|Gold River]] when Atwal arrived.<ref name="Vancouver Sun">https://ift.tt/2JGQ8H8> Sidhu was struck twice and survived the shooting, however, he was assassinated in 1991 five years later at his home.<ref name="Vancouver Sun"/> At the parole, Atwal admitted he was the shooter that day.<ref name="Vancouver Sun"/>
===Justin Trudeau visit to India===
Atwal sparked controversy when he was invited by [[Justin Trudeau]] to a reception during a visit to [[India]].<ref name=NationalPost>https://ift.tt/2sQXP7m> He was seen photographed with [[Sophie Grégoire Trudeau]] and [[Minister of Infrastructure and Communities|Infrastructure Minister]] [[Amarjeet Sohi]] at an event in [[Mumbai]] and was invited to the event by [[Randeep Sarai]].<ref name=NationalPost/> Ujjal Dosanjh criticized Trudeau for inviting Atwal by stating "Do you have no shame?" and stated that the [[Canada–India relations|relations]] between Canada and India were rock bottom.<ref>https://ift.tt/2t2MekQ name=TheStar>https://ift.tt/2Mo2wh6> Atwal's invitation was rescinded the next day and Trudeau stated that he should have never been invited.<ref>https://ift.tt/2t54slt> He was removed from India's travel blacklist several months ago, while the Indian government stated that he wasn't a security threat.<ref>https://ift.tt/2MlY1U5>
Atwal's name became a [[Twitter]] hashtag overnight, as Candice Malcolm stated in a tweet that he was seen taking a picture with Trudeau and that he knew him for a long time.<ref>https://ift.tt/2tasfRp> Conservative Leader [[Andrew Scheer]] accused Trudeau of "wining and dining" with an attempted murderer in a Thursday tweet.<ref name=TheGlobeAndMail/> Atwal stated that he has a "friendly relationship" with Trudeau and that he "stayed away" from him to avoid embarrassment.<ref>https://ift.tt/2sVTpMg> On March 8, 2018, he apologized for the "embarrassment" he caused when he attended the event and told reporters that he took full responsibility for his past actions.<ref>https://ift.tt/2t3Wrxu> A new committee of reporters and senators delivered its first classified report regarding the affair with 18 findings and 6 recommendations concerning allegations of foreign interference in [[List of political scandals in Canada|Canadian political affairs]].<ref> https://ift.tt/2sR9Mdg>
===Death threats against a British Columbia host===
On April 25, 2018, Atwal was arrested at his home and charged for making threats to a local [[British Columbia]] host.<ref name=TheGlobeAndMail>https://ift.tt/2JD06Jw> According to documents, he faces charges for "uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm".<ref name=TheGlobeAndMail/> His lawyer Marvin Stern stated that he made threats outside a [[Media in Vancouver|Punjabi]] radio station in the [[Vancouver]] suburb of [[Surrey, British Columbia]].<ref name=TheGlobeAndMail/> The day after his arrest, he made an appearance in provincial court, but was released without cash or surety.<ref name=TheGlobeAndMail/> He is expected to face trail on June 7 and appear at the Surrey Provincial Court to plead not guilty.<ref>https://ift.tt/2sS4JZN>
==Involvement in Canadian politics==
In 2012, Atwal was invited to a budget speech of [[List of premiers of British Columbia|35th]] [[Premier of British Columbia]] [[Christy Clark]] as a guest.<ref name=ThePrint/> In addition, he backed her leadership and was among supporters who accorded her a welcome in Surrey.<ref name=Straight/> His presence in the legislature caused embarrassment and a complaint was made to the speaker.<ref name=Straight>https://ift.tt/2sYyvLM> Clark's reaction was similar to [[Wai Young]] when she received help from Ripudaman Singh Malik, who was acquitted in the [[Air India Flight 182]] bombing.<ref name=Straight/> Clark insisted that she didn't know who Atwal was, even though he was invited to her budget speech and shook her hand.<ref>https://ift.tt/2sTR2tk> After the controversy, liberal party director Tariq Ghuman resigned.<ref name=ThePrint/> Atwal was also a member of the Surrey Fleetwood-Port Kells Liberal riding association of the [[Liberal Party of Canada|Federal Liberal Party]].<ref name=NewIndianExpress>https://ift.tt/2JERmm7>
In a January 14, 2013 post on Facebook, Atwal was seen in a photo with a young Justin Trudeau.<ref name=ThePrint/> Atwal is a long-time supporter of the liberal party and a former donor to the federal gifts with deep ties to the party that pre-date Trudeau's tenure as prime minister.<ref nane=TorontoSun> https://ift.tt/2sUnOdT> Official records showed that he donated $500 dollars to the liberal party on April 9, 2011.<ref name=TorontoSun/> In May 2015, the [[Toronto Sun]] obtained two photos of him with Trudeau, with one at a campaign event in [[Vancouver]] and another one outside a house or restraint.<ref name=TorontoSun/> He was also seen taking pictures with former liberal leader [[Michael Ignatieff]] and interim leader [[Bob Rae]].<ref></ref><ref>https://ift.tt/2sYywPQ>
==External Links==
[https://ift.tt/2EJJ5em Jaspal Atwal: Profile, Wiki, Wife, Family and Khalistan Links]
[https://ift.tt/2sYyxmS Who is Jaspal Atwal?]
https://ift.tt/2ouMOX3 Who is Jaspal Atwal?]
==References==
[[Category:1955 births]]
[[Category:Failed assassins]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Khalistan movement people]]
[[Category:Canadian Sikhs]]
[[Category:People from Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Sikh terrorism]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Indian descent]]
[[Category:Canadian people convicted of murder]]
[[Category:Indian people convicted of murder]]
[[Category:2018 controversies]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian criminals]]
[[Category:Canadian businesspeople]]
[[Category:Indian businesspeople]]
[[Category:Canada–India relations]]
[[Category:British Columbia Institute of Technology alumni]]
[[Category:British Columbia Liberal Party politicians]]
==Background==
Jaspal Atwal was originally from [[Pharala]] near a [[Phagwara]] district in [[Punjab, India]].<ref name=ThePrint>https://ift.tt/2sTtBk9> He left for [[Canada]] at a young age and claimed to study at [[British Columbia Institute of Technology]].<ref name=TheHindu>https://ift.tt/2JGNUHT> He visited [[India]] once in the past few years, with a [[Facebook]] post of him visiting the [[Taj Mahal]].<ref name=ThePrint/> He is involved in construction business and is currently associated with Media Wave Communications, which runs a Surrey-based online radio station.<ref name=TheHindu/> He was also involved in numerous liberal campaigns and was seen taking pictures with hockey star [[Wayne Gretzky]] and other liberal politicians such as [[Sukh Dhaliwal]], [[Justin Trudeau]], and [[Michael Ignatieff]].<ref name=TornotoStar/><ref name=TheStar/>
==Controversies==
===Assassination attempts===
In 1985, Atwal was charged in an attack [[Ujjal Dosanjh]], a strong opposer of the Khalistan movement, but was later acquitted.<ref name=NationalPost/> Dosanjh stated that Atwal attacked him with an iron bar over his opposition to Sikh extremism.<ref name=TheGlobeAndMail>https://ift.tt/2Mn3SJ0> The attack left Dosanjh severely injured with 80 stiches and a broken hand.<ref name=TheGlobeAndMail/> Senior Punjab journalist Baljit Singh Balli, who met Atwal, claimed that Atwal was not involved in any attack and that he was being wrongly charged.<ref name="ThePrint"/> Dosanjh would go on to be the 33rd [[Premier of British Columbia]].<ref name=ThePrint/>
On May 25, 1986, Atwal was among four men involved in attempting to assassinate Punjib minister [[Malkiat Singh Sidhu]].<ref name=NationalPost/> He was convicted for murderer and was sentenced to 20 years in jail, where he served 5 years before being paroled.<ref name=TheStar/> At the time of the attempted assassin, Sidhu was visiting [[Vancouver]] for a wedding and was forced off an isolated road near [[Gold River, British Columbia|Gold River]] when Atwal arrived.<ref name="Vancouver Sun">https://ift.tt/2JGQ8H8> Sidhu was struck twice and survived the shooting, however, he was assassinated in 1991 five years later at his home.<ref name="Vancouver Sun"/> At the parole, Atwal admitted he was the shooter that day.<ref name="Vancouver Sun"/>
===Justin Trudeau visit to India===
Atwal sparked controversy when he was invited by [[Justin Trudeau]] to a reception during a visit to [[India]].<ref name=NationalPost>https://ift.tt/2sQXP7m> He was seen photographed with [[Sophie Grégoire Trudeau]] and [[Minister of Infrastructure and Communities|Infrastructure Minister]] [[Amarjeet Sohi]] at an event in [[Mumbai]] and was invited to the event by [[Randeep Sarai]].<ref name=NationalPost/> Ujjal Dosanjh criticized Trudeau for inviting Atwal by stating "Do you have no shame?" and stated that the [[Canada–India relations|relations]] between Canada and India were rock bottom.<ref>https://ift.tt/2t2MekQ name=TheStar>https://ift.tt/2Mo2wh6> Atwal's invitation was rescinded the next day and Trudeau stated that he should have never been invited.<ref>https://ift.tt/2t54slt> He was removed from India's travel blacklist several months ago, while the Indian government stated that he wasn't a security threat.<ref>https://ift.tt/2MlY1U5>
Atwal's name became a [[Twitter]] hashtag overnight, as Candice Malcolm stated in a tweet that he was seen taking a picture with Trudeau and that he knew him for a long time.<ref>https://ift.tt/2tasfRp> Conservative Leader [[Andrew Scheer]] accused Trudeau of "wining and dining" with an attempted murderer in a Thursday tweet.<ref name=TheGlobeAndMail/> Atwal stated that he has a "friendly relationship" with Trudeau and that he "stayed away" from him to avoid embarrassment.<ref>https://ift.tt/2sVTpMg> On March 8, 2018, he apologized for the "embarrassment" he caused when he attended the event and told reporters that he took full responsibility for his past actions.<ref>https://ift.tt/2t3Wrxu> A new committee of reporters and senators delivered its first classified report regarding the affair with 18 findings and 6 recommendations concerning allegations of foreign interference in [[List of political scandals in Canada|Canadian political affairs]].<ref> https://ift.tt/2sR9Mdg>
===Death threats against a British Columbia host===
On April 25, 2018, Atwal was arrested at his home and charged for making threats to a local [[British Columbia]] host.<ref name=TheGlobeAndMail>https://ift.tt/2JD06Jw> According to documents, he faces charges for "uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm".<ref name=TheGlobeAndMail/> His lawyer Marvin Stern stated that he made threats outside a [[Media in Vancouver|Punjabi]] radio station in the [[Vancouver]] suburb of [[Surrey, British Columbia]].<ref name=TheGlobeAndMail/> The day after his arrest, he made an appearance in provincial court, but was released without cash or surety.<ref name=TheGlobeAndMail/> He is expected to face trail on June 7 and appear at the Surrey Provincial Court to plead not guilty.<ref>https://ift.tt/2sS4JZN>
==Involvement in Canadian politics==
In 2012, Atwal was invited to a budget speech of [[List of premiers of British Columbia|35th]] [[Premier of British Columbia]] [[Christy Clark]] as a guest.<ref name=ThePrint/> In addition, he backed her leadership and was among supporters who accorded her a welcome in Surrey.<ref name=Straight/> His presence in the legislature caused embarrassment and a complaint was made to the speaker.<ref name=Straight>https://ift.tt/2sYyvLM> Clark's reaction was similar to [[Wai Young]] when she received help from Ripudaman Singh Malik, who was acquitted in the [[Air India Flight 182]] bombing.<ref name=Straight/> Clark insisted that she didn't know who Atwal was, even though he was invited to her budget speech and shook her hand.<ref>https://ift.tt/2sTR2tk> After the controversy, liberal party director Tariq Ghuman resigned.<ref name=ThePrint/> Atwal was also a member of the Surrey Fleetwood-Port Kells Liberal riding association of the [[Liberal Party of Canada|Federal Liberal Party]].<ref name=NewIndianExpress>https://ift.tt/2JERmm7>
In a January 14, 2013 post on Facebook, Atwal was seen in a photo with a young Justin Trudeau.<ref name=ThePrint/> Atwal is a long-time supporter of the liberal party and a former donor to the federal gifts with deep ties to the party that pre-date Trudeau's tenure as prime minister.<ref nane=TorontoSun> https://ift.tt/2sUnOdT> Official records showed that he donated $500 dollars to the liberal party on April 9, 2011.<ref name=TorontoSun/> In May 2015, the [[Toronto Sun]] obtained two photos of him with Trudeau, with one at a campaign event in [[Vancouver]] and another one outside a house or restraint.<ref name=TorontoSun/> He was also seen taking pictures with former liberal leader [[Michael Ignatieff]] and interim leader [[Bob Rae]].<ref></ref><ref>https://ift.tt/2sYywPQ>
==External Links==
[https://ift.tt/2EJJ5em Jaspal Atwal: Profile, Wiki, Wife, Family and Khalistan Links]
[https://ift.tt/2sYyxmS Who is Jaspal Atwal?]
https://ift.tt/2ouMOX3 Who is Jaspal Atwal?]
==References==
[[Category:1955 births]]
[[Category:Failed assassins]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Khalistan movement people]]
[[Category:Canadian Sikhs]]
[[Category:People from Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Sikh terrorism]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Indian descent]]
[[Category:Canadian people convicted of murder]]
[[Category:Indian people convicted of murder]]
[[Category:2018 controversies]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian criminals]]
[[Category:Canadian businesspeople]]
[[Category:Indian businesspeople]]
[[Category:Canada–India relations]]
[[Category:British Columbia Institute of Technology alumni]]
[[Category:British Columbia Liberal Party politicians]]
June 13, 2018 at 02:59PM
