APSCC urges de-escalation of India-Canada tensions

SRINAGAR — Expressing concern over the escalation of tension between India and Canada, the All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) has demanded that the issue should be tackled at the local level and no religion or community should be dragged into the matter.

In a statement, APSCC Chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina said that the controversy in the Canada issue should be downplayed and should not be given hype. He expressed concern over the statements emanating from the Government of India on the issue and said that the same should stop at the earliest.

“Foreign Minister Subramaniam Jaishankar should apologise since he has dragged the Sikh community in the recent incident regarding an attack on a temple in Canada. It was highly irresponsible on the part of the foreign minister to blame the Sikh community for the temple attack without any probe and as such he should apologise,” said Raina.

The APSCC Chairman said that in the past, many unfortunate incidents involving attacks on religious places have taken place in the country. He said the people and the politicians displayed statesmanship and the incidents did not blow out into a full-fledged controversy.