Following Canada PM Justin Trudeau's allegations of Indian involvement in Nijjar killing, another Canadian controversy emerges. The speaker of Canada's House of Commons issued an apology for commending an individual during a parliamentary meeting who had served in a Nazi unit during World War Two. Just two days prior, Speaker Anthony Rota had publicly acknowledged 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka as a "Ukrainian hero" within the Canadian Parliament. It was later revealed that Hunka had served in World War II as a member of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS. This revelation came to light following demands for an apology from the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights organisation.
#JustinTrudeau #controversy #NijjarKilling #Canadian Parliament
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#JustinTrudeau #controversy #NijjarKilling #Canadian Parliament
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Close on the heels of the backlash on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations
00:04 that Indian agents were involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar,
00:09 another controversy has hit Canada.
00:12 This time it's the Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons, Antony Rota.
00:16 He had to issue a public apology on Sunday for recognizing and honoring a man with a
00:21 controversial past during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Parliament.
00:26 The incident occurred when Rota introduced 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka as a war hero and
00:32 member of the 1st Ukrainian Division, leading to a standing ovation from Canadian lawmakers.
00:37 However, Hunka's association with the 1st Ukrainian Division, also known as the Waffen-SS
00:43 Galicia Division or the SS-14th Waffen Division, raised significant concerns.
00:50 This unit was voluntarily but served under the command of the Nazis during World War
00:56 II.
00:57 In his statement of apology, Speaker Rota acknowledged that he had not informed fellow
01:00 parliamentarians or the Ukrainian delegation of his intention to recognize Hunka.
01:05 He expressed deep regret for his decision and extended his deepest apologies to Jewish
01:10 communities in Canada and around the world.
01:13 Rota accepted full responsibility for the incident and the recognition of Hunka.
01:18 The incident had caused outrage amongst Jewish groups and other organizations with calls
01:23 for an explanation and apology.
01:26 The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies described the Division Hunka
01:31 had served in as responsible the mass murder of innocent civilians with a level of brutality
01:37 and malice that is unimaginable."
01:40 B'nai B'rith Canada's CEO, Michael Mostyn, called for a meaningful apology and a detailed
01:46 explanation of how such an incident could occur in the Canadian Parliament.
01:51 The Prime Minister's office clarified that the decision to invite and recognize Hunka
01:55 was made solely by the Speaker's office and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was not aware
01:59 of it.
02:00 The Speaker's apology and acknowledgement of responsibility were seen as appropriate
02:04 responses to the controversy.
02:11 [BLANK_AUDIO]