India has called for decisive action from all levels of the Canadian Government following the display of a controversial float depicting the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at an event in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) on Sunday.
The float was a notable feature of a parade organized in Brampton to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Operation Bluestar, a military operation by the Indian Army targeting Khalistani extremists, including their leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, within the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar.
Apart from showcasing an effigy of Indira Gandhi being shot by her bodyguards, the float also included posters declaring her “punishment” on October 31, 1984, the day of her assassination. Additionally, it featured images of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a pro-Khalistan figure murdered in Surrey, British Columbia in 2023, along with excerpts of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statement suggesting a potential link between Indian agents and Nijjar’s killing. A photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accompanied by the caption “punishment waiting.”
The secessionist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) has indicated that Modi will be their next “target” for “transnational repression” following Nijjar’s killing. This display occurred shortly after a similar protest in front of India’s Consulate in Vancouver just three days prior. In response, Canada’s Minister of Public Safety, Dominic LeBlanc, condemned the promotion of violence.
Despite such condemnation, pro-Khalistan elements continue to persist in Canada. India’s High Commissioner to Ottawa, Sanjay Kumar Verma, has urged Canadian authorities to take decisive action against the public dissemination of violence and hatred, stressing that Indian nationals in Canada feel threatened by such displays. Verma criticized the failure of Canadian systems and society to hold perpetrators accountable for inciting violence.
This incident echoes a similar occurrence last year on June 4 during a martyrdom day event in the GTA. The assassination of Indira Gandhi was followed by widespread anti-Sikh riots in Delhi and other parts of India, resulting in numerous casualties and extensive property damage.