New Delhi: Amid escalating diplomatic tensions with India, Canadian politicians have condemned alleged threats against Hindus in their country after a video by the US-based banned extremist group, Sikhs for Justice, allegedly did the rounds on social media this week.
In the video, which media reports said has since been deleted, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, one of the founders of the outfit and a New York-based lawyer, accused Hindus of “working against the same country” that they benefit from. It threatened Hindus in Canada and demanded that they “go back to India”.
In India, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Saturday confiscated numerous properties belonging to Pannun in Chandigarh and Amritsar.
Meanwhile, though Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is yet to react to the ‘threats’ against Hindus in Canada, numerous other Canadian politicians have condemned them.
Leader of the Opposition and heading the Conservative Party of Canada, Pierre Poilievre took to X Saturday and posted, “Conservatives condemn these comments against our Hindu neighbours and friends. Hindus have made invaluable contributions to every part of our country and will always be welcome here.”
Every Canadian deserves to live without fear and feel welcomed in their community.
In recent days, we have seen hateful comments targeting Hindus in Canada. Conservatives condemn these comments against our Hindu neighbours and friends. Hindus have made invaluable contributions…
— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) September 22, 2023
Leader of New Democratic Party, Jagmeet Singh also emphasised on X the “values of inclusion, compassion and kindness we hold close as Canadians”, but did not directly condemn the ‘threats’.
Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety of Canada, while condemning the video, observed that Canada has “no place for acts of aggression, hate, intimidation or incitement of fear”.
All Canadians deserve to feel safe in their communities. The circulation of an online hate video targeting Hindu Canadians runs contrary to the values we hold dear as Canadians. There is no place for acts of aggression, hate, intimidation or incitement of fear.
— Dominic LeBlanc (@DLeBlancNB) September 21, 2023
Meanwhile, responding to the ‘threats’, Chandra Arya, Member the House of Commons of Canada, Thursday shared a roughly 3-minute video on X, condemning such ‘threats’ while calling out the hypocrisy of Canada for allowing the glorification of hate against a religious group as freedom of speech.
Few days back Khalistan movement leader in Canada and the president of Sikhs for Justice which organizes the so-called referendum Gurpatwant Singh Pannun attacked Hindu-Canadians asking us to leave Canada and go back to India.
I have heard from many Hindu-Canadians who are… pic.twitter.com/z3vkAcsUDs— Chandra Arya (@AryaCanada) September 20, 2023
“There would be outrage in Canada if a white supremist attacked any group of racialised Canadians asking them to get out of our country. But apparently, this Khalistani leader can get away with this hate crime,” Arya said.
“This direct attack on Hindu-Canadians by the leader of Canadian Khalistan movement is further escalation of the recent attacks on Hindu temples and public celebration of the assassination of Hindu Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by terrorists,” he added.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
Also Read: Punjab’s Sikhs have 99 problems but Khalistan ain’t one. They’re very proud Indians, but angry