Vic Sethi of Leicester,UK says "it was a pleasure meeting The Rt Honorable Jagmeet Singh Ji The New NDP Leader of Canada"

It was indeed a pleasure meeting his Right Honorable Jagmeet Singh the New NDP Leader who could be the next Prime minister of Canada,

It was great meeting him as he was very approachable, humble and welcoming gentleman who said he was pleased to meet me and spoke about diversity and community cohesion. He said all this can only be won by "Love and Courage" which is the slogan of the New NDP party.

Ontario legislator Jagmeet Singh has become the first Sikh to mount a credible campaign for the leadership of a national party in Canada, announcing his candidature for taking command of the New Democratic Party

The 38-years-old member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament representing Bramalea-Gore-Malton, made the announcement on Monday at an event hosted at the restaurant, Bombay Palace, in Brampton, a suburb of Toronto.

The NDP is one of the three major national parties in Canada and had emerged as the principal Opposition party in the House of Commons in the 2011 federal elections.

“I’m proud to announce that I am running to be the leader of the new Dem Party of Canada,” he said, as shouts of “Bole so nihal, Sat Sri Akal” resonated through the venue.

The announcement was preceded by a number of leaders of the party, including elected representatives from Canadian provinces taking the stage to voice their support for Singh’s campaign for NDP leadership.

“People are hungry for new leadership in this country, they are hungry for new leadership in our party,” said Singh, a lawyer by training, as he took the stage wearing an orange turban to match the colour of the NDP, in an event that was also live-streamed on Facebook, pointing towards a campaign that will take social media outreach seriously.

Singh, who was born in Scarborough in Ontario, outlined a vision that included building “a Canada that is inclusive and where everyone can realise their dreams.”

He also attacked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, saying, “We’ve had enough of empty promises and we’re ready to get the job done.”

Singh has the dubious distinction of being possibly the only elected representative in the Western world to have been denied a visa to India, when in December 2013 his request was turned down by the Indian consulate in Toronto.

Jagmeet Singh, who wears his kirpan openly and the first turban-wearing Sikh to sit in Ontario’s legislature, will now lead a Canadian federal political party with his victory in the NDP leadership race on Sunday.

Jagmeet, 38, won on the first ballot Sunday, taking 53 per cent of the vote to top MPs Charlie Angus, Niki Ashton and Guy Caron, reports CBC.

In a Facebook entry today (2 Oct 2017), he said, in both English and French:

“Thank you, New Democrats. The run for Prime Minister begins now #loveandcourage

Merci à tou.te.s les membres du NPD. La campagne pour devenir premier ministre commence maintenant #coeuretcourage”

The 38-year old bachelor ran on the platform of ‘Love and Courage’.

Jagmeet has represented the riding of Bramalea-Gore-Malton at Queen’s Park since 2011. The unmarried MPP served as the Ontario NDP party’s critic for justice and consumer services before party leader Andrea Horwath named him her deputy in 2015, reports CBC.

A criminal defence lawyer who speaks fluent French and Punjabi, Singh was born in Scarborough, Ont., in 1979.

Singh was raised in Newfoundland and Labrador while his father, who trained as a psychiatrist in India, attended medical school there and worked as a security guard before he could practise in Canada.

His family moved to Windsor, Ont., when he was seven years old.

Singh says he was bullied as a youngster and took up martial arts to defend himself, going on to captain his high school wrestling team and winning the Toronto championships in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

He got a law degree from Osgoode Hall in Toronto and practised as a criminal defence lawyer. His brother, Gurratan Singh, now runs their firm.

Singh’s passion for fashion caught the attention of GQ magazine earlier this year, which described him as “the incredibly well-dressed rising star in Canadian politics.” In the magazine’s profile of him, Singh said his personal style is an extension of his political platform.