Who Is Khalistani Terrorist Jaspal Atwal, The Man Photographed With Justin Trudeau's Wife?

New Delhi: Pictures of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife Sophie Trudeau with a convicted Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal, has sparked yet another controversy. It has also rekindled the debate on Justin Trudeau's stand on the pro-Khalistan movement.  

Jaspal Atwal, a convicted Khalistani terrorist who was active in the banned Int'l Sikh Youth Federation, photographed w/Canadian PM's wife Sophie Trudeau at an event in Mumbai on 20 Feb. He was also invited for formal dinner with Canadian PM, invite being rescinded now (CBC News) pic.twitter.com/pT7P3eLq1L

— ANI (@ANI) February 22, 2018

Amid criticism, Thursday night's dinner invitation to Jaspal Atwal has been cancelled, but seems the damage has already been done. So who is Jaspal Atwal?

• At present, Atwal is a businessman associated with Media Wave Communications that runs a Surrey-based online radio station.
• Before this stint, he was active in the banned Sikh separatists outfit International Sikh Youth Federation. The ISYF seeks to establish a separate country for the Sikhs of India called Khalistan and is currently banned in India, the US, Japan, Canada, United Kingdom and USA.
• In 1986, Atwal was convicted for trying to kill the then Punjab minister, Malkiat Singh Sidhu, in Vancouver. Atwal had then been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the attempted murder and called it as an "act of terrorism."
• Not just the 1986 attack, Atwal had been convicted in an automobile fraud case in 1985. He had allegedly beaten up Ujjal Dossanjh, an opponent of the Sikh separatist movement who later became Premier of British Columbia.