MP made visa call for failed assassinNorth Shore Liberal Don Bell queried India consul-general Kim Bolan, Vancouver Sun
Published: Tuesday, July 25, 2006
A Liberal MP has intervened on behalf of a would-be assassin trying to get a visa to visit his native India.
North Vancouver MP Don Bell confirmed he made a call to the Indian consul-general two weeks ago for Surrey resident Jaspal Singh Atwal, convicted in the attempted murder of a visiting Punjabi cabinet minister in 1986.Bell said he was asked by fellow Liberal Ujjal Dosanjh, MP for Vancouver South, who Atwal approached for assistance several months ago. Dosanjh thought that it would be inappropriate if he followed up, given that Atwal was charged with and acquitted of beating him with a metal pipe in 1985."I did phone the consul-general. His file was referred to me. He is not a North Shore resident. But I had a call from Ujjal Dosanjh's office. Originally Jaspal Atwal came here and said he had been suggested by Ujjal," Bell said. "It wasn't going to bat for him. I indicated that I would find out what the situation was."
Atwal was described in parole records as the leader of a group of four members of the International Sikh Youth Federation who ambushed Malkiat Singh Sidhu on an isolated Vancouver Island road. Sidhu survived the attempt on his life, but was later assassinated in India.Atwal admitted to the National Parole Board that he was the gunman who fired several shots at Sidhu, two of which injured the visitor to B.C., who was attending his nephew's wedding.
"You admit to and have accepted responsibility for your part in the offence and recognize that what you did is totally unacceptable to the Canadian community and constituted an act of political terrorism," say parole board records obtained by The Vancouver Sun.
Atwal, who remains on parole, said in an interview that he is not a "terrorist" and should be allowed to visit India as he has done twice before since first getting parole in 1992.
He said he went to the Liberal MPs for help despite living in the Surrey riding of Conservative MP Nina Grewal because he is a complainant in an RCMP investigation of Grewal's husband Gurmant Grewal -- the former MP for Surrey Newton.
"So I don't want to go to Nina. And she is not going to help me anyway," Atwal said.
But Bell said he thought Atwal was a constituent of Dosanjh's when he agreed to call the consul-general.
"I got the impression that Ujjal was his MP. Who is his MP then?" Bell asked during an interview with The Vancouver Sun.
Bell claimed he knew nothing about Atwal's conviction in the political assassination plot when he called the Vancouver consul-general and that Dosanjh had not mentioned it to him.
"The main thing I knew about were the charges involving Ujjal," Bell said. "I didn't have the other background."
Dosanjh said that he did not pass on any information about Atwal's political crime to Bell because he assumed Atwal would disclose everything.
"I talked to Don months ago saying this guy wants an MP to help him," Dosanjh told The Sun. "I believe anyone who walks into my riding office is entitled to a fair hearing."
Dosanjh said he has no ill will against Atwal, despite telling a judge that Atwal was his assailant in a political attack in February 1985. Even though Atwal was acquitted of assault, Dosanjh thought it would be better if another MP dealt with Atwal's grievance about being denied a visa to India.
"I suggested he go see someone else," Dosanjh said. "I assumed Mr. Atwal would disclose his full history to Don ... We didn't talk about his record."
Bell said it was the Indian consul-general who told him about Atwal's role in the assassination plot.
"They made reference to the terrorist allegations. I knew about the situation with Ujjal. I had been told there was some other history, background and I said I will contact the consul-general and see what they have got to say," Bell said. "I didn't have all the background when he first came in."
Bell said he called Atwal last week and said he wouldn't be doing any more to help him.
Grewal, who is still under investigation over allegations he mishandled political donations, said he believes Atwal has been helped by the Liberals because Atwal filed the complaint against him.
"I don't have any doubt in my mind that it is linked," Grewal said. "It is a false complaint he laid against me. The RCMP is still investigating, but I am waiting to be cleared. I know I will be cleared."
Grewal said Atwal approached him for help with his visa woes in 2003 and he refused to get involved because of the serious criminal conviction.
"That's why he is angry with me. I refused to intervene in this situation," Grewal said.
Grewal said that even if Bell did not know Atwal's background when he was approached, Dosanjh certainly did and should have made sure no Liberal got involved.
Balwant Singh Gill, president of Surrey's Guru Nanak temple, said he was shocked that the Liberals would be trying to intervene for Atwal.
"It is not acceptable. He is convicted in a serious case. Why are they phoning the consul-general on his behalf?" Gill said. "I don't know what Ujjal is thinking -- what the hell he is doing? This guy attacked that minister, Malkiat Singh Sidhu."
Gill said the ISYF, of which Atwal was a member, is now a banned terrorist group. "If someone phones on someone's behalf, they should know him better. They should know who they are, what they have done. It is stupid," Gill said.Atwal said he should be able to visit his homeland and has paid his dues.
"I know what I am and I know who I am. Thirty-six years I live in the country. I have nothing against anyone. I have a lot of good citizenship awards and all kinds of that stuff," Atwal said.
In fact, Atwal's visa to visit India was cancelled and his full parole revoked in 2002 after police identified him as a suspect in a drive-by shooting of his brother's house, a December 2002 parole decision states. "Your son was charged with uttering threats against your brother's family and there appears to be an ongoing feud between the two families."
Atwal was not charged in the drive-by and his brother died unexpectedly. He got full parole again, with the added condition that he have no contact with his brother's family.
"Tense family relationships involving threats and use of weapons became a significant risk factor given your criminal history," the parole board said.
[email protected] 
Site Admin 
)
CKA Moderator 
