Fresh trouble hits India-Canada ties, New Delhi protests threatening language at Khalsa Day parade
A speech by one attendee at the parade Sunday targeted '8 lakh' Indians living in Canada, asking them to be removed from the country, while floats targeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar were also seen at the parade. The parade, according to videos and images being circulated, reportedly had pro-Pakistan and pro-Sikh separatist propaganda as well.
New Delhi: Fresh trouble has hit India-Canada ties with New Delhi lodging a protest with the Canadian High Commission following threatening statements from Sikh separatists calling for Indo-Canadians to be removed from the North American country, and threats against Indian leaders during a Khalsa Day parade in Toronto.
New Delhi called on Canadian authorities to 'act against anti-India elements who spread hatred and advocate extremism and a separatist agenda'. The protest by India against the space given to Sikh separatists in Canada comes at a time when New Delhi and Ottawa are looking at ways to reset ties that have sunk to their lowest point in recent years.
Mark Carney led the Liberal Party to victory at the Canadian federal election last week, which potentially opened the doors for a thaw in ties between the two countries following the resignation of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in January of this year.
Trudeau, in September 2023, accused agents of the Indian government of being linked to the killing of the Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. An Indian designated terrorist, Nijjar was gunned down outside a gurdwara in June 2023, in Surrey, British Columbia.
New Delhi rejected the allegations as 'absurd and motivated'. In October 2024, India withdrew its High Commissioner to Canada and five other diplomats, following a request from Ottawa to waive their diplomatic immunity as a part of their investigations into Nijjar's killing.
Subsequently, New Delhi expelled six Canadian diplomats, including the Acting High Commissioner and Deputy High Commissioner.
India accused Trudeau of pandering to 'vote bank' politics in his refusal to take any concrete action to deal with Sikh separatists and went so far as to declare the country a safe haven for terrorists.
As reported by ThePrint earlier, India is likely to appoint a new High Commissioner to Ottawa soon, given Carney's victory.
However, a number of challenges remain, especially around the issue of the space given to Sikh separatists in Canada.
India had lodged a protest against the pro-Sikh separatism slogans shouted during last year's Khalsa Day parade as well. Trudeau had addressed the crowd amid chants of 'Khalistan Zindabad'. A raft of political leaders addressed the gathering last year, including Leader of the Opposition Pierre Poilievre.
The speech at this year's Khalsa Day parade in Toronto has outraged the Hindu community in Canada. The Canadian Hindu Chamber of Commerce 'condemned' the demand for 8,00,000 Hindus to leave Canada in a statement Sunday.
'There are 800,000 Hindus and over 1.86 million Indo-Canadians in Canada. The call at today's Nagar Kirtans in Malton & Etobicoke clearly targeted Hindus. History teaches us that calls for mass expulsion leads to unthinkable acts. This dangerous rhetoric must be denounced by all leaders,' the CHCC said in its statement on the social media platform X.
CHCC condemns the call at today's Nagar Kirtan in Malton & Etobicoke demanding 800,000 Hindus leave Canada.
There are 800,000 Hindus and over 1.86 million Indo-Canadians in Canada. The call at today's Nagar Kirtans in Malton & Etobicoke clearly targeted Hindus.
History… pic.twitter.com/nA9LOysIJ5
— Canadian Hindu Chamber of Commerce (@chcconline) May 4, 2025
The Hindu Canadian Foundation (HCF) said in a statement on X that the 'silence of many political leaders' in response to the remarks 'must be recognised as implicit consent'.
'It is the duty of all MPs and MPPs, across party lines, to take a stand against this divisiveness and reaffirm Canada's commitment to religious harmony and inclusivity. A civilised society cannot tolerate hate-mongering and attempts to fracture our diverse communities,' the HCF said.
Hindu Canadian Foundation strongly condemns the recent call By KHALISTANI EXTREMISTS to send back 800,000 Hindus to India during the Malton & Etobicoke Nagar Kirtan. Such statements foster division and spread hate against the Hindu Canadians . The Nagar Kirtan is meant to unite… pic.twitter.com/sirNUIFFzs
— Hindu Canadian Foundation (HCF) (@officialHinduCF) May 5, 2025
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
Also read: With Mark Carney's win, India looks to reset ties, will appoint envoy to Canada 'soon'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
12 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Indian drugmakers seek exemption for generics from US supplies probe
Mumbai: A US government probe into pharmaceutical imports and their implications on national security must exclude generic drugs from its purview, a business delegation from the Indian pharmaceutical industry told Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal at a meeting held last local industry's contention assumes significance in the backdrop of the impending India-US bilateral trade agreement and the uncertainty over reciprocal tariffs being imposed by the US government. So far, the US has exempted pharmaceutical imports from the proposed tariffs of 50%, half of which are to kick in on August 27. Experts said that the issues related to supplies of medicines from India to the US are critical given the plans of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit China for the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting later this month in Tianjin. In April, under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, 1962, the US government had initiated an investigation into imports of medicines to the country, sparking concerns over potential supply chain disruptions and pricing volatility there. The law grants authority to the US President to impose restrictions on such imports if those are deemed to threaten US national security. People familiar with the mater told ET that the meeting with the pharmaceutical industry was called by the commerce ministry to discuss a range of issues, including ways to tackle abrupt disruptions and to strengthen the industry with closer attention to new research and innovation. A note in May from global consulting firm EY said that historically, Section 232 has been used to justify tariffs on steel, aluminium and automobiles.
Economic Times
26 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Peter Navarro to India: Act like a US partner or pay the price
Synopsis Peter Navarro has criticized India's crude oil imports from Russia, deeming them "opportunistic" and warning of consequences for the US-India strategic partnership. He alleges India's actions are financing Russia's war in Ukraine and jeopardizing access to US markets. These remarks precede a postponed US trade negotiation visit and potential tariffs on Indian goods due to continued Russian oil purchases. Reuters Peter Navarro, Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing for U.S. President Donald Trump, speaks to the media outside the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 30, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/ File Photo New Delhi: US President Donald Trump's trade adviser Peter Navarro on Monday criticised India's crude oil imports from Russia, calling the move "opportunistic" and warning that if India "wants to be treated as a strategic partner of the US, it needs to start acting like one".In an opinion piece in the Financial Times, Navarro alleged that India was "now cosying up to both Russia and China" and argued that New Delhi's Russian crude purchases must stop as they were financing Moscow's war in Ukraine. His comments come ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month, even as Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi visits New Delhi for talks on the disputed border. "This two-pronged policy will hit India where it hurts-its access to US markets - even as it seeks to cut off the financial lifeline it has extended to Russia's war effort," Navarro said India's reliance on Russian crude was "opportunistic and deeply corrosive of global efforts to isolate Putin's war economy". The remarks assume significance as US trade negotiators have postponed their planned August 25-29 visit for the sixth round of Bilateral Trade Agreement talks, the first tranche of which is targeted for conclusion by autumn. Trump has already imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods, including a 25% penal levy for continued purchases of Russian oil, despite the external affairs ministry's assertion that India is being unfairly singled out while the US and EU continue to source energy from the 25% tariff on Indian goods entering the US took effect on August 7, the additional 25%, announced as penalty for crude and defence imports from Russia, will kick in on August 27. "India acts as a global clearing house for Russian oil, converting embargoed crude into high-value exports while giving Moscow the dollars it needs," Navarro wrote, adding that it was risky to transfer cutting-edge US military capabilities to a country "cosying up to both Russia and China".
India Today
31 minutes ago
- India Today
AIFF explains ISL U-turn, says Supreme Court move guided by legal advice
Facing criticism for its sudden U-turn, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Monday, August 18 issued a defence of its handling of the Indian Super League (ISL) crisis. The governing body said its actions stemmed from legal advice, which suggested that the Supreme Court be first addressed on the National Sports Governance Bill before shifting attention to the ISL weekend, however, unfolded in a haze of contradictions. On Sunday, the AIFF confidently declared it would press the ISL matter before the Supreme Court at 10:30 am the next morning. By evening, that assurance was retracted, leaving stakeholders baffled. Clarity only returned when Amicus Curiae Gopal Sankaranarayanan, supported by Samar Bansal, confirmed the ISL issue would indeed reach the court's attention. "Based on advice received that the National Sports Governance Bill 2025 had passed both the houses of Parliament, the AIFF's Senior Counsel advised during a briefing meeting on Sunday late evening that this is the first aspect that needs to be brought to the attention of the Hon'ble Supreme Court," the federation said in its clarification was followed by another—AIFF claimed it was still weighing when to officially raise the ISL matter, but the Amicus Curiae had already moved ahead. By Monday, the case was mentioned before the timing couldn't have been more sensitive. The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on the draft constitution case, which will shape Indian football's governance. On Monday, AIFF's senior counsel made oral submissions, with the court asking for written arguments ahead of the next hearing on Friday, August its statement, AIFF stressed the broader stakes of the dispute. 'The AIFF intends to use this opportunity to represent to the Hon'ble Supreme Court the urgent need for commercial continuity and to determine the future structure of its top-tier league, in the interests of players, clubs and other parties all of whose livelihoods are at stake due to the current impasse,' it the root of the chaos is the non-renewal of the Masters Rights Agreement (MRA) between ISL organisers Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) and the federation. With the 2025-26 ISL season 'put on hold' since July 11, there's no calendar, no fixtures, and no guarantee of when—or if—the season kicks standoff has already hit home. Eleven clubs have jointly warned that without clarity, they 'face the real possibility of shutting down entirely.' Some have halted first-team operations, others have frozen salaries, and hundreds of Indian and foreign players are staring at uncertain futures.- Ends
