Canadian Member of Parliament (MP) Chandra Arya has strongly condemned the actions of Khalistan supporters who celebrated the anniversary of Indira Gandhi’s assassination by parading a float depicting her with cutouts in a white saree soaked in blood. The float, which also featured cutouts of her bodyguard-turned-killers brandishing guns, was deemed despicable and inappropriate by Arya, who called for concrete action against the growing anti-Hindu and anti-India sentiment in Canada.
In a Twitter post, Arya stated, “Khalistan supporters in Canada have reached a new low with a despicable float in a recent Brampton parade. The float celebrated the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi with her cutout in a white saree soaked in blood and cutouts of her bodyguard turned killers brandishing and pointing guns. This is not what our country Canada stands for.” The float was reportedly part of a parade held in Brampton on June 4.
Arya emphasized the need for Canada to respond to these acts of glorifying violence and promoting hate, stating that tolerating such actions goes against the values and principles upheld by the country. He further highlighted that these Khalistan supporter groups are well-organized, well-funded, and politically influential, targeting Hindu temples, leaders, and organizations in Canada.
The condemnation of the float was not limited to MP Chandra Arya. The Canadian High Commissioner to India also expressed his dismay over the viral video clip of the celebration, denouncing the glorification of violence and asserting that there is no place for hate in Canada.
The incident has drawn criticism in India as well, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressing his perplexity over the motivation behind such actions and questioning the space given to separatists, extremists, and advocates of violence. Jaishankar emphasized that these incidents have a detrimental impact on the relationship between the two countries.
As the controversy surrounding the float continues to unfold, it remains crucial for Canada to address the concerns raised by MP Chandra Arya and take decisive action against hate promotion and the glorification of violence.
