On March 20, India blocked Canadian lawmaker Jagmeet Singh's Twitter account. If anyone attempts to access his account from India, the message "@theJagmeetSingh's account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand" appears. The action appeared to have been taken by the Government of India in response to his tweets about the ongoing operation in Punjab against pro-Khalistani separatist Amritpal Singh.
There are other pro-Khalistan Twitter accounts blocked in India, these include some Canadian government officials as well.
Made series of tweets expressing concerns about the operations going on in Punjab
In a series of Tweets, Jagmeet expressed "concerns" about the ongoing operation in Punjab, comparing the Punjab Government's efforts to combat pro-Khalistani elements to the steps taken by governments during the Punjab insurgency. "I am deeply concerned by reports that India has suspended civil liberties and imposed an internet blackout across the entire state of Punjab," he said.
He added, “These draconian measures are unsettling for many given their historical use to execute extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances during the 1984 Sikh Genocide. I am calling on Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government to immediately contact their Indian counterparts to express concern regarding the suspension of civil liberties and the safety of Canadians abroad.”
Controversial tweets were made earlier as well
This is not the first time Singh has attempted to meddle in Indian affairs. During farmer protests, Jagmeet Singh was one of the leading Canadian voices speaking out against the Indian government. Questions have been raised about his alleged role in convincing Rihanna to tweet about the situation. Singh has been chastised several times for his pro-Khalistani stance. Interestingly, while he protested the Indian government's actions against protesting farmers, he supported the Government of Canada's strict action against protesting truckers who took to the roads last year.
