PUNJAB CM HOPEFUL OF MEANINGFUL TALKS WITH TRUDEAU AFTER DISTANCING OF HIS MINISTERS FROM SEPARATISTS

PUNJAB CM HOPEFUL OF MEANINGFUL TALKS WITH TRUDEAU AFTER DISTANCING OF HIS MINISTERS FROM SEPARATISTS

Chandigarh/Amritsar, February 10:
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh today reiterated his stand on the forthcoming visit of Justin Trudeau, saying he would be happy to welcome the dignitary and looked forward to meaningful talks with the Canadian Prime Minister in view of the recent statements of his Sikh ministers.
In response to questions from mediapersons during his visit here, to pay his respects to General Sham Singh Attariwala on the latter’s martyrdom day, the Chief Minister pointed out that Trudeau’s ministers had categorically disassociated themselves from the Khalistani separatists.
The unequivocal statements of Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi, clearly distancing themselves from the Khalistani movement, had paved the way for meaningful discussions with Trudeau to strengthen ties between Punjab and Canada, said Captain Amarinder.
The Chief Minister had earlier welcomed the statements of Sajjan and Sohi, while congratulating the Canadian Prime Minister for creating a favourable environment against secessionist forces believed to be operating from his country.
Sajjan’s statement that he and fellow Sikh minister Amarjit Sohi “neither sympathise with nor espouse the Sikh nationalist movement, which is bent on creating a separate country called Khalistan in India’s Punjab region” indicated that the Canadian Prime Minister had clearly sent out a strong signal within his party and government that he would not allow his country’s soil to be used for any secessionist activities, the Chief Minister had said.
Meanwhile, in response to another question, Captain Amarinder made it clear that he was committed to completing the process of farm loan waiver for 10.25 lakh farmers, as announced by his government, by November this year.
The interests of the farmers were a top priority for his government, said the Chief Minister, adding that despite the financial constraints, which had somewhat slowed down the process, he would ensure that the November 2018 deadline for this is met at any cost.