A sitting Indo-Canadian MP, part of Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau’s caucus, is facing charges of inappropriate behaviour towards female staff members over the past six years but remains a candidate as the September 20 Federal elections approach.
Raj Saini, who has roots in Himachal Pradesh, has been the MP for the riding (as constituencies are called in Canada) of Kitchener Centre in the province of Ontario since 2015.
According to a report from the outlet CBC News, multiple sources “described four different cases where Saini allegedly made unwanted sexual advances or inappropriate comments”.
Saini denied the accusations to CBC News.
It also reported that a former staffer filed a complaint related to alleged “unwelcome advances and harassing behaviour” with the Canadian Human Rights Commission last year.
In a statement issued by his office, Saini denied the allegations, saying, “I have never acted inappropriately towards staff or constituents.”
Saini also stated that he was made aware of one allegation last year and “insisted an independent third-party review of my office take place through the House of Commons. The outcome of that review, which was completed in June 2020, found that nothing arose regarding concerns of harassment in the office.”
Asked about these developments while campaigning on Tuesday, his party leader Trudeau defended Saini, “I know Mr Saini has shared the details of all the processes that have been undertaken in his office because it’s really important that we respond to any concerns and issues brought up.”
Trudeau has maintained his party has a zero tolerance policy towards matters of this nature. On Tuesday, he said, “We’ll continue to insist that everyone deserves to have a safe workplace.”
CBC reported that the complaints against Saini date back to a party holiday gathering in December 2015 at a downtown Ottawa convention centre. The outlet said that four female staffers had complained about inappropriate acts then, and also named former MP Marwan Tabbara. The latter faced an internal party investigation and contested the 2019 Federal elections but was removed from the caucus after charges in a different case in 2020.
Saini, however, has denied any wrongdoing, as he said, “Protecting my staff and ensuring they are respected is not something I take lightly.”
