A tableau depicting former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's assassination by Sikh bodyguards was showcased in a parade in Canada's Punjab-dominated Brampton. The tableau, part of a Sikh parade in Brampton on June 4, depicted Khalistan flags with a poster that says "revenge". People in Punjab were aghast over the development. They said India should summon the Canadian High Commissioner to strongly object to the inclusion of Indira Gandhi's assassination tableau in a parade in Brampton.
Cameron MacKay, High Commissioner for Canada in India tweeted saying, "I am appalled by reports of an event in Canada that celebrated the assassination of late Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. There is no place in Canada for hate or for the glorification of violence. I categorically condemn these activities."
Milind Deora, the Former Indian Minister for Communications & Shipping, also expressed his outrage over the tableau. "As an Indian, I'm appalled by the 5km-long parade which took place in the city of Brampton, Canada, depicting the assassination of Indira Gandhi. It's not about taking sides, it's about respect for a nation's history & the pain caused by its Prime Minister’s assassination. This extremism deserves universal condemnation & a united response," he said in a tweet.
Spike in attacks on temples, Indian symbols
Intelligence agencies believed that it seemed to be linked with the 39th anniversary of the Indian Army's 'Operation Bluestar' in Amritsar which was carried out between June 1 and 8, 1984, claiming several lives and leaving the Golden Temple and its complex in Amritsar 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 Hindi temple was vandalised with 'anti-India' graffiti in Brampton province, leaving the Indian community in shock. The Indian Consulate General in Toronto had issued a statement condemning the attack on the Gauri Shankar temple. India had already summoned the Canadian High Commissioner to convey "its strong concerns about the actions by pro-Khalistani extremist elements against Indian diplomatic missions in Canada in recent times".
(To receive our E-paper on WhatsApp daily, please click here. To receive it on Telegram, please click here. We permit sharing of the paper's PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)
