Commentary

Gurpreet Singh: Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal describes Lakhimpur Kheri episode as a “terrorist attack”

He says he was completely shaken after seeing video of a vehicle driving through peaceful protesters in India

by Gurpreet Singh on October 10th, 2021 at 6:55 AM
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      The Surrey-Newton member of Parliament from the ruling Liberal Party has come down heavily against those who mowed down protesting farmers in India on October 3.  

      Sukh Dhaliwal has categorically described this as a “terrorist attack” in an interview with Spice Radio.  

      The convoy of Ajay Mishra, a minister in the right-wing BJP government in New Delhi, allegedly ran over peasants agitating against unjust farm laws in Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, leaving four farmers dead. Four others were reportedly killed in clashes 

      The farmers have been protesting since November, 2020 against laws that threaten their livelihood and that have been implemented without much consultation and transparency.    

      Video footage of a vehicle driving into peaceful protesters has been widely circulated on social media.  

      Dhaliwal said that the video footage leaves no doubt in anyone’s mind that this was a deliberate attempt to kill peaceful demonstrators and should be seen as a terrorist attack. 

      Replying to a question, Dhaliwal agreed that this was no different than the killings of the four members of a Muslim family in London, Ontario, in June this year, allegedly by a white supremacist. The suspect is facing terror charges in connection with allegedly deliberately ramming his vehicle into the family that was out walking.  

      Dhaliwal added that he was deeply moved by the brutal killings of those marching peacefully in the world’s so-called largest democracy.

      “I was completely shaken and could not stop myself from speaking out against such barbarity after seeing, myself, the video of the violent incident.” 

      (Warning: The video in the tweet below is disturbing.)

      Dhaliwal is among several of Indo Canadian elected officials in Canada and the U.K. who have condemned the Lakhimpur Kheri massacre. This incident has cut across party lines on social media.  

      He said that he hoped the Liberal government might also make an official statement once Parliament starts and the new cabinet is in place. He reminded Spice Radio listeners that last year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau criticized police violence against protesting farmers in India.  

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