Vancouver politicians distance themselves from man acquitted of Air India bombing

Vancouver politicians scrambled Tuesday to get away from any association with Ripudaman Singh Malik, saying they were aware of his association with the 1985 Air India bombing when attending a Khalsa School dedication last year and steered clear of him.
Mayor Gregor Robertson and Coun. Suzanne Anton both said they felt obligated to attend the event marking a new school to replace one that burned down in 2009. But they said they steadfastly avoided Malik, the school's founder, who in 2005 was acquitted in the mid-air bombing that killed 329 people, including 280 Canadians.
"I had concerns about being there in the same place as Mr. Malik, but I did not meet him and was focused on the school and the kids and the parents," Robertson said.
Anton said she immediately left when it became apparent that Vancouver councillors were being called to come up and accept a plaque while Malik was nearby. "Once they were getting people up to shake hands with Malik, I left," she said. She photographed Robertson accepting a plaque from Narinder Chhina, a school official and former Vision Vancouver school board candidate, while Malik looked on. Several other councillors, including Andrea Reimer, Raymond Louie and George Chow were also at the dedication.
Malik's presence at last year's school event became public Tuesday following stories that he used the backdrop of the school to meet with and endorse Vancouver South Conservative Party candidate Wai Young on April 6.
Last week Liberal Ujjal Dosanjh, the incumbent in Vancouver South, filed a filed a complaint with Elections Canada alleging that the school, a publicly funded registered charity that receives $8 million in provincial education ministry funds, violated rules banning partisan campaigning. In the complaint letter Dosanjh's campaign manager Braeden Caley said "Ripudaman Singh Malik and Wai Young both attended this meeting and urged attendees to support her candidacy." He said there were also reports the school was being used as a telephone room to campaign for support for Young.
The Vancouver Sun reported Monday that Young also met with Malik at a private home four days before the April 6 school meeting. Young has not returned calls for comment.
26/04/11 Jeff Lee/Vancouver Sun

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Categories: Air India Apr 2011, Foreign Apr 2011, Safety Apr 2011