NEW DELHI: India on Monday lodged a protest with Canadian authorities over the “threatening language” and unacceptable imagery of the Indian leadership featured at a parade held in Toronto, reflecting the strains in bilateral ties over the activities of pro-Khalistan elements.
A speech made at the Khalsa Day parade in the Greater Toronto Area on Sunday called for the removal of Indo-Canadians from Canada. The parade featured floats with pro-Khalistan propaganda, pro-Pakistan banners and imagery targeting Indian leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Indian side lodged a protest with the Canadian high commission in New Delhi, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity.
“We conveyed our concerns in the strongest terms to the Canadian high commission regarding the parade held in Toronto, where unacceptable imagery and threatening language were used against our leadership and Indian citizens residing in Canada,” one of the people said.
The Indian side again called on Canadian authorities to act against “anti-India elements” who are spreading hatred and advocating extremism and a separatist agenda, the people said.
The development comes at a time when the exit of former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and his successor Mark Carney’s victory in the general election had raised hopes for an improvement in bilateral relations.
India-Canada relations tumbled from one low to another since Trudeau went public in September 2023 with allegations that Indian government agents were linked to the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a charge dismissed by New Delhi as “absurd”.
Under the Trudeau government, Ottawa and New Delhi repeatedly clashed on the Khalistan issue, downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled each other’s diplomats. India also accused Canada of providing safe haven to extremist elements.
Indo-Canadian groups have expressed outrage over the speech made at Sunday’s Khalsa Day parade and the imagery that featured in the event. The unidentified person who made the speech said “800,000 Bharti” should be sent back to India.
Banners displayed at the parade featured the words “Kill India” and imagery targeting Indian leaders. The banners also projected solidarity between proponents of Khalistan and Pakistan. There was no evidence that the floats were part of the procession sanctioned by the organisers.
Community leaders pointed out that there are about 1.8 million Indo-Canadians in Canada, and about 800,000 of them are Hindus.