NEW DELHI: Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has refuted allegations of “Khalistani patronage” levelled at his government after a tableau “celebrating” Indira Gandhi’s assassination was recently showcased in Ontario.
“India is wrong,” Trudeau said in his defence following New Delhi’s strong criticism of Canada for “giving space to separatists, extremists and people who advocate violence”.
The said tableau was part of a parade in Brampton and showed the former Indian prime minister in a bloodstained white saree with turban-clad men pointing guns at her. A poster read: “Revenge for attack on Shri Darbar Sahib”. The placard referred to a 1982 incident when security forces stormed the Golden Temple on the instructions of the former Prime Minister to kill Khalistani leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Indira Gandhi was shot dead by two of her bodyguards in 1984.
Reacting to the tableau incident, external affairs minister S Jaishankar had last month said that the “egregious incident” highlighted a larger issue, which was the space given in Canada to Khalistan groups, separatists, extremists and people who advocate violence. He also hinted that it could affect the Indo-Canadian ties.
He had also said that he was “perplexed” by Canadian NSA Jody Thomas’ comments that India is “among the top sources of foreign interference in Canada”. “If anybody has a complaint, we have a complaint about Canada…”
“India is wrong,” Trudeau said in his defence following New Delhi’s strong criticism of Canada for “giving space to separatists, extremists and people who advocate violence”.
The said tableau was part of a parade in Brampton and showed the former Indian prime minister in a bloodstained white saree with turban-clad men pointing guns at her. A poster read: “Revenge for attack on Shri Darbar Sahib”. The placard referred to a 1982 incident when security forces stormed the Golden Temple on the instructions of the former Prime Minister to kill Khalistani leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Indira Gandhi was shot dead by two of her bodyguards in 1984.
Reacting to the tableau incident, external affairs minister S Jaishankar had last month said that the “egregious incident” highlighted a larger issue, which was the space given in Canada to Khalistan groups, separatists, extremists and people who advocate violence. He also hinted that it could affect the Indo-Canadian ties.
He had also said that he was “perplexed” by Canadian NSA Jody Thomas’ comments that India is “among the top sources of foreign interference in Canada”. “If anybody has a complaint, we have a complaint about Canada…”