Sikh extremists on Canada's no-fly list lose appeal

A CANADIAN court has rejected bid by two Sikh extremists to get off the country's no-fly list, saying there are "reasonable grounds" to suspect they will indulge in terrorist activities.

The Federal Court of Appeal in its ruling this week dismissed an appeal by Bhagat Singh Brar and Parvkar Singh Dulai after they lost a constitutional challenge of their no-fly designations under Canada's Secure Air Travel Act, The Canadian Press news agency reported from Vancouver on Thursday.

The two were not allowed to board planes in Vancouver in 2018.

The ruling says the act empowers the public safety minister to ban people from flying if there are "reasonable grounds to suspect they will threaten transportation security or travel by air to commit a terrorism offence."

The appellate panel found that based on confidential security information, the minister "had reasonable grounds to suspect that the appellants would travel by air to commit a terrorism offence."

In 2019, Brar and Dulai went to the Federal Court of Canada to have their names struck from the list. But Justice Simon Noel ruled against them both in 2022.

According to sources in New Delhi, Dulai is a member of the banned Babbar Khalsa. He runs “Channel Punjabi” from Surrey and “ Global TV” from Chandigarh, both spreading Khalistani propaganda.

Strained ties

The court's ruling came against the backdrop of severe strain in India-Canada ties following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September last year of "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistan extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar Nijjar.

Nijjar, who was declared a terrorist by India, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18 last year.

The murder is being probed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

New Delhi rejected Trudeau's charges as "absurd" and "motivated". It said the main issue is that Ottawa is giving space to pro-Khalistan elements operating from Canadian soil.

India on Friday (21) condemned the Canadian parliament observing "one minute silence" in the memory of Nijjar two days ago.

"We naturally oppose any moves giving political space to extremism and advocacy of violence," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. (PTI)