‘Will Stand With Hindu Canadians’: Trudeau Extends Diwali Wishes Amid Row With India
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau extended Diwali wishes on Thursday and promised to stand with the Hindu community amid diplomatic tensions between India and Canada in the wake of rising Khalistani extremism in the country.
In a statement that praised Indo-Canadians, the Liberal party leader underlined Diwali’s significance to one of the country’s largest and most diverse diasporas. “Happy Diwali! Today, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, and Jain families will celebrate the triumph of light over darkness with festivities, candles, diyas, and fireworks. Wishing you all joy and prosperity during this special time,” Trudeau wrote on X.
‘Will always stand with Hindu’
In a separate statement, the Canadian prime minister said, “Diwali in Canada would not be possible without our incredible Indo-Canadian community. Indo-Canadians represent the best of Canada – as artists and entrepreneurs, as doctors and teachers, as leaders in business, community, and culture. On Diwali, we celebrate them and the light they carry across Canada’s communities.”
“We will always stand with Hindu Canadians to ensure their safety and security so they can freely and proudly practise their religion,” he added. This message comes as Canadian MP Chandra Arya has raised concerns about the safety of Hindus in the country amid the rise of Khalistani extremism. He urged the Canadian government to recognise the threat posed by Khalistani extremism.
Opposition leader Poilievre
Trudeau’s message comes in the wake of controversy surrounding the cancellation of the annual Diwali event in Ottawa, which faced backlash from the Hindu community. Shiv Bhasker, president of the Overseas Friends of India Canada (OFIC), expressed disappointment over the situation, saying that the Indian community feels “betrayed and unjustly singled out” amid the ongoing diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
Canadian opposition leader Pierre Poilievre clarified that the event was not canceled but had merely undergone changes in location and timing. “To be clear, any suggestion that Mr. Poilievre has cancelled this event is patently false,” Opposition Leader’s Office Director of Media Relations Sebastian Skamski told Yahoo News Canada.
“This event has always been hosted by a member of the Conservative Caucus, this year being MP Doherty, and has never been organised by the Leader of the Opposition or his office. While there have been changes to the location and timing, MP Doherty will still be hosting an event to celebrate Diwali and Bandi Chor Divas in Ottawa with members of the South Asian community and Conservative Caucus.”
India-Canada Ties
Relations between the two countries have soured following Trudeau’s allegations of Indian involvement in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar and interference in Canadian elections. India has denied these claims, calling them “absurd.”
India has recalled its high commissioner and five other diplomats from Canada after they were named as “persons of interest” in a Canadian investigation into the 2023 killing of Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist who was a Canadian citizen, in British Columbia.
The relations between the two countries have plunged to their lowest level over Canada’s tacit support to Khalistani extremists among the large Sikh-Canadian population of about eight lakh. New Delhi accuses Ottawa of doing next to nothing to stop the activities of Khalistani supporters who seek to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India.