India-born Canadian MP Chandra Arya on Saturday slammed Khalistan supporters for celebrating the assassination of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi with her cutout in a float and asked law enforcement agencies to take action.
“Khalistan supporters in Vancouver with posters of Hindu Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s body with bullet holes and her bodyguards-turned-assassins holding their guns, are again attempting to instil fear of violence in Hindu-Canadians,” Arya wrote on X.
He said, “This is continuation of threats with a similar float in Brampton a couple of years back and a few months ago (Gurpatwant) Pannu of Sikhs for Justice asking Hindus to go back to India.”
Arya again called on law enforcement agencies in Canada to take immediate action.
“With pictures of guns readily being used to convey the message, (this) may lead to something real if this is left to continue unchallenged. The prominence of ‘bindi’ on the forehead of Indira Gandhi is to make doubly sure the intended targets are Hindus in Canada,” he said.
Pannu was declared a “designated individual terrorist” by the government of India on July 1, 2020.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has accused his organisation of radicalising youth and promoting terrorism.
It is also responsible for diplomatic tensions between India and Canada.
Responding to the mockery of the assassination of the late Prime Minister, Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said the promotion of violence is never acceptable in Canada.
“This week, there were reports of imagery depicting the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in Vancouver. The promotion of violence is never acceptable in Canada,” he wrote on X.
Intelligence agencies in India believe that the display of the assassination seemed to be linked with the 40th anniversary of the Indian Army's 'Operation Blue Star' in Amritsar that was carried out between June 1 and 8, 1984.
'Operation Blue Star' was a military action ordered by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to flush out terrorists led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale holed up in the Golden Temple complex with arms and ammunition.
The operation to flush out the terrorists had led to several casualties on both sides and left the Golden Temple and its complex damaged.
On an earlier occasion, a Hindu temple was vandalised with 'anti-India' graffiti in Brampton province, leaving the Indian community in shock.