Alberta MP recalls responding to assassination attempt of Indian diplomat in 1986

Alberta MP Jim Eglinski remembers the day he responded to Jaspal Atwal's assassination attempt of an Indian diplomat in B.C. more than 30 years ago.

"There were only two (RCMP) members at that detachment and we both responded immediately," said the Yellowhead Conservative MP.

On May 25, 1986, Eglinski was the RCMP detachment commander in Gold River, B.C., when he hurried to a shooting on a rural logging road near the town.

"When we arrived we found a vehicle on the side of the road with the windows smashed out," he said.

They saw three people in the car; a driver in the front seat and Indian politician Malkiat Singh Sidhu and his wife in the back seat. Sidhu had been shot.

"Four men came at them with hammers and one was carrying a handgun. They went directly toward minister Sidhu, firing, I believe, five rounds at him," said Eglinski.

"He was smart enough to play dead and (the attackers) then left."

After helping the victim into an ambulance, Eglinski took off after Atwal, before learning the getaway vehicle was stopped at a roadblock near Campbell River, B.C., a city two hours away from the scene of the attack.

Atwal was arrested and eventually convicted of attempted murder.

'I was shocked'

Now, 32 years later, Eglinski was startled to see Atwal in pictures with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, and Canada's Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Amarjeet Sohi.

"I said, 'That's the guy from Gold River.' I couldn't believe they were associating with him," Eglinski said.

Atwal was a member of an illegal Sikh separatist group in 1986 when the attack happened. He was also charged, but not convicted, in a 1985 attack on Ujjal Dosanjh, who later became B.C. premier and a federal Liberal cabinet minister.

• To the PM: Why would he ever meet with Jaspal Atwal?
• India calls accusations it set up the Atwal affair 'baseless and unacceptable'

Earlier this week Surrey Centre Liberal MP Randeep Sarai took responsibility for inviting Atwal to Trudeau's receptions in India. Sarai apologized and stepped down as chair of his party's Pacific Caucus.

Eglinski says he's concerned about the judgment to include Atwal in any government event.

"They had to know that this would cause some kind of a stir," he said.