India has slammed Canada once again for giving space to extremist elements after pro-Khalistan imagery was displayed at a Nagar Kirtan parade at Malton in Toronto. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “As you are aware, we have repeatedly raised over strong concerns regarding the violent imagery being used by extremist elements in Canada against our political leadership.
Last year, a float depicting the assassination of our former Prime minister was used in procession. Display of posters of Indian diplomats have been put out across the length and breadth of Canada threatening violence against them. Celebration and glorification of violence should not be a part of any civilised society. Democratic countries which respect the rule of law should not allow intimidation by radical elements in the name of freedom of expression, he said.
The Nagar Kirtan Parade was organised by the Ontario Gurdwara Committee, where floats and speeches aggressively targeted Indian political figures including a depiction of PM Modi behind bars. The parade spanning 6 kilometres featured inflammatory speeches by figures like Paramjit Mand of the Dal Khalsa and Avtar Singh Pannun who has been declared by the Indian authorities a most wanted terrorist.
“We continued to remain concerned about the security of the diplomatic representatives and expect the government of Canada to ensure that they are able to carry out responsibilities without fear,” Jaiswal said. We again upon the government of Canada to stop providing criminal and secessionist elements a safe haven and political space in Canada.
Ties between New Delhi and Ottawa have been strained since Canadian PM Justin Trudeau allegations in September last year of potential involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, New Delhi rejected Trudeau’s allegations as absurd. Recently, Justin Trudeau along with other prominent Canadian leaders attended a Khalsa Day event in Toronto. Videos from the event showed pro-Khalistani slogans being raised as Trudeau began to address the crowd.
India lodged a strong protest over Trudeau’s presence at such an event and summoned the Deputy High Commissioner to express its disapproval and concerns over the political space given to extremist and violent ideologies in Canada. On May 3, 2024, the Canadian police arrested three Indians Karanpreet Singh, Kamalpreet Singh and Karan Brar claiming they were linked to the hit-squad which killed Hardeep Singh Nijjar. In response, the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India will wait for the Canadian police to share more information on the matter.
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