Angry in the Great White North

With the focus on Liberal MP Gurbax Singh Malhi's appearance at a Tamil Tiger rally on Parliament Hill (during which he pledged his support for the "fight"), this incident with fellow Liberal Ruby Dhalla has slipped by almost unnoticed.

It happened at a meeting during which Ruby Dhalla was discussing the situation in Sri Lanka with constituents:

Brampton-Springdale MP Ruby Dhalla was also accused of barring some residents from a meeting she organized with constituents concerned about the situation in Sri Lanka. Police were called to the Durga Temple in Mississauga Mar. 8 for a "dispute" outside the premises.

Const. Wayne Patterson said officers were only there for about half-hour and there were no assaults, threats, allegations or arrests made.

"After the meeting finished, outside the Mandir, I was informed that a few people were advised to not attend the meeting due to an altercation that had occurred," Dhalla said in a written statement. "I had no knowledge of this incident until after the meeting."

According to Dhalla, the meeting was attended by members of the Sinhalese and Tamil communities. A few individuals not allowed inside met with her afterwards, she added.

"The purpose of Sunday's meeting and prior meetings I have had with the Counsel General of Sri Lanka was to ensure my constituents have the opportunity to voice their concerns regarding the ongoing crisis in Sri Lanka," she said. "I have been a strong advocate for peace to ensure Canada plays a vital role in championing the issue of democracy and human rights."

See what I mean?  We have no idea what really happened.

Here are the questions I have, and for which I expect we'll never have answers:

• Who organized the meeting?  I know the story says she organized it, but there is nothing about this meeting on Ruby Dhalla's website. 
• Where was this meeting?  "Durga Temple" is a bit vague.  Was it the Jeya Durga Thevasthanam on Drew Road?
• Who was invited to attend?  Specifically, what individuals and what groups?  Was it also open to the public?  Were the attendees truly constituents?
• Who tried to get in?  Why?  What did they have to say?  How many were they?  Were they individuals or members of an organization?
• Was it just one group barred from getting in representing one particular interest, or was there a variety of opinions represented?  Or were they kept out for some entirely different reason unrelated to their message, assuming they even had one?
• If this was a closed meeting, how did these people find out about it?  Were they initially invited?
• Who stopped them?  Ruby Dhalla's people?  Members of the organizations attending?  Just some people at the door who decided to act as guards on their own initiative?
• Why were they stopped?
• Who called the police?  Why were the police called, if there were no threats made?  Was there a disturbance?  How was it that the meeting was able to carry on with Ruby Dhalla realizing that there was a ruckus at the door?
• Who did Ruby Dhalla meet with afterwards?  The same individuals who tried to get in?  A delegation?

• The real question: Once we have all these details, can Ruby Dhalla tell us whether these people should have been kept out?  If so, why?  If not, why did she not have better control of the meeting she is allegedly responsible for organizing?

Again, more questions than answers.

Update: Well, I have a few answers after talking to Constable Wayne Patterson of the Peel Regional Police.  At about twenty minutes to four in the afternoon on Sunday, March 8, the call came in about an incident at 1881 Drew Road.  According to the call made, a male arrived at the location in a car with other people, claiming to be a Tamil Tiger.  The complainant said these people were uninvited, and so were being denied access.  The police responded with two constables and a supervisor, but when they arrived (within five minutes) they were told that the male and his companions had already left after being told that the police had been called.  The police spoke to everyone directly involved, and closed out the incident.  The police report does not identify whether the people who blocked access were members of Ruby Dhalla's staff, or others.

Since the individuals had already left, the police could not confirm their identity or their alleged relationship with the Tamil Tigers.  Also, as they had left, the police had no reason to confirm whether the meeting was by invitation only.  According to the news report, Ruby Dhalla says she met with these people after the scheduled meeting was finished.