A man believed to be New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh’s brother-in-law has been arrested by Canadian law enforcement officers and charged with assault related to an incident of violence that occurred during a car rally organised by the Indo-Canadian community in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) on February 28 to celebrate the then awaited arrival of Indian-made Covid-19 vaccines in Canada.
In a statement released on Thursday evening, Peel Regional Police (PRP), which is investigating the incident at the rally, said, “Jodhveer Dhaliwal, a 30-year-old man from Caledon”, was charged with assault causing bodily harm. He is scheduled to attend the Ontario court of justice in Brampton on a later date.
In a report published on Thursday headlined “NDP leader’s brother-in-law in altercation under police probe as south Asian Canadian factions clash over India unrest”, the daily National Post reported that as per a video of the incident, “a man resembling” Dhaliwal “strides toward an India supporter, shoving the man in the chest and sending him toppling backwards onto the pavement”.
The report says Dhaliwal is married to Jagmeet Singh’s wife’s sister and is also distantly related to Liberal Party MP Ruby Sahota.
The victim of that episode had filed a complaint with local law enforcement. A spokesperson for Peel police told HT that investigations based on a couple of videos from that day were in progress.
{{/usCountry}}The victim of that episode had filed a complaint with local law enforcement. A spokesperson for Peel police told HT that investigations based on a couple of videos from that day were in progress.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, Jaskaran Singh, a 27-year-old from Brampton, a township in the GTA, was arrested and charged with assault on March 5, also related to multiple attacks on participants in the car rally.
In its statement, PRP noted that it “supports the right to peaceful and lawful assembly. However, there will be no tolerance for violence or criminality, and all reported incidents will be investigated and those involved may be charged”.
The victim is not being named due to concerns over his safety.
The violence at the rally, which featured nearly 350 vehicles, took place as participants faced protesters, some flashing pro-Khalistan flags. On February 7, Indo-Canadian community members had also organised a similar car rally in the Metro Vancouver area and organisers later faced protesters, and were threatened and harassed.
A delegation of Indo-Canadian community members went to the office of Jagmeet Singh in the town of Burnaby on Thursday and pasted posters on a window showing his face with the word “Missing”. Other posters read “Your silence is violence” and “Denounce Hatred against Hindus”.
They were protesting over the apparent lack of action or statement from Jagmeet Singh over the community being targeted by alleged pro-Khalistan elements. This was a follow-up to a February 26 protest at the same venue, when a group under the banner of Concerned Citizens of Burnaby, BC, left a memorandum with Jagmeet Singh’s staff, calling upon him to address the root causes of “hate against Hindus arising from the pro-Khalistan movement.