Sri Lankan-born Gary Anandasangaree, Canada’s Minister of Public Safety, has been accused of supporting a former member of the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) in obtaining Canadian citizenship.

Reportedly, Gary Anandasangaree sent two letters expressing support for granting Canadian citizenship to a Sri Lankan national, Senthuran Selvakumar, who is alleged to be a former LTTE member. These letters were reportedly sent to the Canada Border Services Agency in 2016 and 2023.

It is stated that Canada’s Minister of Public Safety submitted these letters while serving as a Member of Parliament. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has rejected Selvakumar’s application for citizenship on multiple occasions, citing his direct links to the LTTE.

In the letters, Anandasangaree is said to have requested that steps be taken to grant Selvakumar Canadian citizenship on humanitarian grounds, noting concerns about family separation.

However, the allegations against Anandasangaree claim that, because the LTTE is a banned terrorist organization, his actions amount to supporting terrorism.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister of Canada has been informed that it is problematic for Gary Anandasangaree to continue serving as Public Safety Minister, given these allegations of supporting a terrorist organization.

In response, the office of Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree released a statement saying it would be inappropriate to comment in detail while the matter is before the court.

Furthermore, Anandasangaree emphasized that he has not submitted such support letters since becoming a minister. He stated that his previous support was based on humanitarian grounds and aimed at preventing the separation of a family with a Canadian-born child. He also stressed that he has never supported any terrorist organization and would not make decisions in favor of one.

As of now, the Canadian Prime Minister has not issued any public statement regarding the matter