India calls out Canada over ‘celebration of violence’ at pro-Khalistan parade
India has again slammed Canada for giving space to extremist elements after pro-Khalistan imagery was displayed at a Nagar Kirtan parade at Malton in Toronto.
In a statement, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “As you are aware, we have repeatedly raised our 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 a procession. Display of posters of Indian diplomats have also been put out across 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 added.
The Nagar Kirtan parade was organised by the Ontario Gurdwara Committee, where floats and speeches aggressively targeted Indian political figures, including a depiction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi behind bars.
The parade, spanning 6 kilometres, featured inflammatory speeches by figures such as Paramjit Mand of Dal Khalsa and Avtar Singh Pannu, who has been declared a terrorist by Indian security agencies.
“We continue to remain concerned about the security of our diplomatic representatives in Canada and expect the Government of Canada to ensure that they are able to carry out their responsibilities without fear,” Jaiswal said.
“We again call upon the Government of Canada to stop providing criminal and secessionist elements a safe haven and political space in Canada,” he added.
Ties between New Delhi and Ottawa have been strained since Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau’s allegations in September last year of a potential involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
New Delhi rejected Trudeau’s charges as “absurd”.
Recently, Justin Trudeau, along with other prominent Canadian leaders, attended a Khalsa Day celebration event in Toronto. Videos from the event showed pro-Khalistan slogans being raised as Trudeau began addressing the crowd.
India lodged a strong protest over Trudeau’s presence at such an event and summoned Canadian Deputy High Commissioner, to express its disapproval and concerns over the political space afforded to extremist and violent ideologies in Canada.
On May 3, 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, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India will wait for the Canadian police to share more information on the matter.