India Demands Action on Violent Parade Float in Canada
By Boniface Ihiasota, USA
India has demanded “exemplary action” from all levels of the Canadian government following the display of a controversial float at an event in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) on Sunday.
The float depicted the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Excel Magazine International learnt that the float was part of a parade in Brampton marking the 40th anniversary of Operation Bluestar, during which the Indian Army stormed the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar to flush out Khalistani extremists, including their leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
The float featured an effigy of Indira Gandhi being fired upon by her bodyguards.
Posters accompanying the float stated that her “punishment” had been “delivered” on October 31, 1984, the date of her assassination.
Additionally, the display included images of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was murdered in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023, and a photograph of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with part of his statement from the House of Commons regarding “credible allegations” of a potential link between Indian agents and Nijjar’s killing.
Below these images was a photograph of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the caption, “punishment waiting.”
The secessionist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) has declared Modi as their next “target” for “transnational repression” and Nijjar’s killing.
This float appeared just three days after a similar display during a protest in front of India’s Consulate in Vancouver.
Canada’s Minister of Public Safety, Dominic LeBlanc, reacted to the earlier display, stating, “The promotion of violence is never acceptable in Canada.”
Despite this, pro-Khalistan elements in Canada remain undeterred.
In response, India’s High Commissioner to Ottawa, Sanjay Kumar Verma, issued a statement urging all levels of Canadian government to take exemplary action against the public display of violence and hatred.
Verma emphasized that Indian nationals in Canada feel intimidated by such displays of hatred and criticized Canadian society and systems for failing to penalize the perpetrators.
Excel Magazine International recalls that the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984 was followed by anti-Sikh riots in Delhi and other parts of India, resulting in thousands of deaths and extensive property damage.
This is not the first instance of such a depiction; last year, a similar float was part of a martyrdom day event in the GTA.
India has formally raised the issue with Global Affairs Canada, seeking decisive action to address the situation and prevent further incidents.
