Toronto:
During the Khalsa Day Celebrations that took place in Toronto, loud chants of pro-Khalistan slogans were seen in the presence of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre. This comes amid a rise in anti-Indian sentiment in Canada in recent times.
As Prime Minister Trudeau was about to take the stage for his speech on the occasion of Khalsa Day, the chants grew louder until he arrived and began his speech in the video released by Canada-based CPAC TV.
Slogans of “Khalistan Zindabad” were heard at the event that also included NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow.
A similar instance also occurred when the leader of Canada's Official Opposition, Pierre Poilievre, took the stage to begin his speech to the people gathered at the event.
Thousands of people descended on downtown Toronto on Sunday for one of the city's largest annual gatherings.
According to the Ontario Sikhs and Gurdwaras Council (OSGC), Vaisakhi, also known as Khalsa Day, commemorates the founding of the Sikh community in 1699, as well as the Sikh New Year.
The group has organized an annual parade along Lake Shore Boulevard for years; the city claims it is the third largest parade in the country and regularly attracts thousands of spectators, according to CBC News.
Even as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walked forward to address Toronto's Sikh community, loud pro-Khalistan slogans rang out from the crowd. In an unwavering assurance to the country's Sikh community, Trudeau said the government is always there to protect their rights and freedoms at all costs.
He said: “Diversity is one of Canada's greatest strengths, and the country is strong not despite its differences, but because of them.”
“One of Canada's greatest strengths is its diversity. We are not strong despite our differences, but because of our differences; but even as we look at these differences, we need to remember and be reminded on days like these, and every day Sikh values are Canadian values…” Trudeau said Sunday at the Khalsa Day Celebrations in Toronto.
“For the nearly 800,000 Canadians of Sikh heritage in this country, we will always be here to protect your rights and freedoms, and we will always defend your community against hate and discrimination,” he asserted.
The Canadian Prime Minister also noted that the country is improving security and infrastructure programs by “adding greater security to community centers and places of worship, including Gurdwaras.”
“Your right to practice your religion freely and without intimidation is just that. A fundamental right guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that we will always defend,” Trudeau assured the Sikh community in his Khalsa Day address. .
However, Trudeau's comments come at a time when diplomatic relations between India and Canada are going through a difficult phase.
In particular, it was the killing of Indian-appointed terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar that sparked a row between India and Canada.
Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by the National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot on the evening of June 18, 2023, as he emerged from a Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia.
The video of his killing, which reportedly surfaced recently in March, showed Nijjar being shot by gunmen in what has been described as a “contract killing.”
The killing led to accusations from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the government of India had a hand in the killing – a claim denied by India and led to a deterioration in diplomatic ties between Canada and India.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Our staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)