Raj Saini has dropped out of the federal election campaign in the riding of Kitchener Centre after facing allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denies.
KITCHENER – An Indo-Canadian Liberal candidate from Ontario was forced to resign Saturday after sexual misconduct allegations surfaced this week.
Raj Saini has dropped out of the federal election campaign in the riding of Kitchener Centre after facing allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denies.
Saini said in a statement on Saturday that he is leaving the race after CBC News this week reported on allegations of inappropriate behaviour against the two-term Liberal MP, reported Globe and Mail Newspaper.
“I am very proud of my work for Kitchener Centre, work to which I committed myself wholly, gladly, and effectively. However, continuing my campaign no longer serves the best interests of my family, staff members, campaign team, and constituents,” Saini said.
“For everyone’s health and safety I have taken the painful decision to end my campaign for the 44th Parliament.”
Saini said he would challenge the “false allegations” and is in the process of consulting legal counsel to review his options.
In a statement issued later on Saturday, a spokesman for the Liberal party said another review was launched on Friday after “new information” was brought to the party.
“Everyone deserves to work in a safe and respectful environment free from violence or harassment. Fair, trusted, and accessible complaint processes are also essential,” said the statement from spokesperson Alex Deslongchamps.
“Last year, a process was initiated after an allegation was made against Mr. Saini. When the individual chose not to pursue a complaint or participate in the process, an independent workplace review assessment was conducted through the House of Commons. The review found that nothing arose regarding concerns of harassment in the office. Mr. Saini was approved as a candidate on that basis.
“Yesterday, a review process was initiated after new information was directly provided to the Liberal Party of Canada. Mr. Saini will no longer be a Liberal candidate.”
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has previously stood by Saini and defended the processes in place to handle harassment and misconduct complaints.
“We have always acted decisively on showing that we don’t tolerate sexual misconduct or harassment. Not only that, we acted to put in place much stronger, more rigorous processes, in Parliament, within our party, and in organizations across the country,” Trudeau said at a campaign stop in Mississauga on Friday.
