India-born Canadian member of Parliament Chandra Arya on Friday slammed the Khalistan supporters for celebrating the assassination of Indira Gandhi with her cutout in a float.
“This is not what our country Canada stands for,” he said in a video message.
“Tolerating glorification of violence and public promotion of hate goes against everything our country believes in. Khalistan supporters have crossed a line and Canada should and must respond,” he said.
Arya said that Khalistan supporters have reached new low with a despicable float in a recent Brampton parade.
The float celebrated the assassination of Indira Gandhi with her cutout in white saree soaked in blood and cutouts of her bodyguard-turned-killers brandishing and pointing guns.
A day earlier, the High Commissioner for Canada in India, Cameron MacKay, said that he was appalled by reports of an event that celebrated the assassination of Indira Gandhi.
“There is no place in Canada for hate or for the glorification of violence. I categorically condemn these activities,” he said in a tweet.
Viral video of a tableau showing the assassination of Indira Gandhi, taken out by Khalistan supporters in Brampton on June 4, stirs massive political row.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has hit out against the Canadian government, saying “it is not good for Canada and its relationship with India”.
Intelligence agencies believed that the display of assassination seemed to be linked with the 39th anniversary of the Indian Army’s ‘Operation Bluestar’ in Amritsar that was carried out between June 1 and 8, 1984, claiming several lives and leaving the Golden Temple and its complex damaged.
‘Operation Bluestar’ was a military action ordered by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to flush out militants led by Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale holed up in the Golden Temple complex.
Earlier, a Hindu temple was vandalised with ‘anti-India’ graffiti in Brampton province, leaving the Indian community in shock.
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