 "'Promotion of violence never acceptable': Canadian envoy reacts to controversial Indira Gandhi float after India lodges protest")
Days after Khalistani extremists put up a float of late PM Indira Gandhi’s assassination at an event in Brampton and India subsequently lodged a formal protest with the Canadian authorities, Canada’s High Commissioner to India Cameron MacKay on Tuesday said that “promotion of violence” is “never acceptable” in Canada.
Taking to X, MacKay wrote, “The Government of Canada is aware of further imagery displayed in Brampton on Sunday. Canada’s position is clear: The promotion of violence is never acceptable in Canada.”
After a float featuring the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was displayed at an event in Vancouver on Thursday and then in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) on Sunday, India had sought “exemplary action” from all levels of the Canadian Government.
“We sincerely urge all levels of governments in Canada to take exemplary action against the public display of violence and hatred,” said India’s High Commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Kumar Verma as he formally raised the matter with Global Affairs Canada, the country’s foreign ministry.
The float, part of a demonstration taken out in Brampton to mark the 40th anniversary of Operation Bluestar, featured an effigy of Indira Gandhi as she was being fired upon by her bodyguards. Other than the float, posters stating that her “punishment” had been “delivered” on October 31, 1984, the date of the assassination, were also prominently displayed.
The display also included pictures of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a pro-Khalistan figure slain in Surrey, British Columbia on 18 June, 2023, juxtaposed with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statement in the House of Commons suggesting “credible allegations” of a possible connection between Indian agents and the murder.
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More ShortsBeneath them was a photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, captioned with “punishment waiting”, added the report.
“Indian nationals living in Canada feel intimidated by such hatred being propagated. Unfortunately, this has happened in Canada time and again. Canadian systems and society have failed to put any cost on the perpetrators,” Verma had said.
Last week, a similar float was display during a protest in front of India’s Consulate in Vancouver.
Reacting to that on Friday, Canada’s Minister of Public Safety Dominic LeBlanc posted on X, “The promotion of violence is never acceptable in Canada.”
Ties between New Delhi and Ottawa had soured due to a row over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau allegation that India was involved in the incident in which Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot to death in British Columbia in June last year.
India has repeatedly accused Canada of giving a free hand to the extremists and not acting against the incidents of Khalistani extremism.
Indian-origin Canadian member of Parliament Chandra Arya also expressed similar concern over Khalistani supporters in Canada putting up posters of Indira Gandhi’s assassination.
Arya claimed that the Khalistani supporters are once again attempting to “instil fear of violence in ‘Hindu-Canadians’” by putting up posters of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination, showing bullet holes in her body with her Sikh bodyguards turned assassins holding guns.
Multiple incidents of Khalistani extremism have been reported in Canada. This includes chanting of anti-India slogans, putting up of threatening posters and vandalism of Hindu temples.
Last month, “anti-India slogans” some anti-India slogans were heard during the Nagar Kirtan Parade organised by the Ontario Gurudwara Committee (OGC) in Canada, an event where PM Justin Trudeau was also present.
India issued a strong condemnation regarding the float used in the Nagar Kirtan parade in Ontario and said the “celebration and glorification of violence” shouldn’t be accepted in a “civilized society.”
With inputs from agencies
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