Canadian High Commissioner to India, Cameron MacKay on June 11, 2024, said that “promotion of violence” is “never acceptable” in Canada. The envoy’s remarks came in the wake of a recent incident in Brampton, Canada, in which Khalistani extremists put up imagery to glorify the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
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.
“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,” Canadian envoy MacKay posted on X today. Earlier, Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic Leblanc had in a similar statement denounced promoting violence, which he said is never acceptable in his country.
In a post on X, Leblanc wrote, “This week, there were reports of imagery depicting the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in Vancouver. The promotion of violence is never acceptable in Canada.” 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.”
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