Ottawa:
Days after an assault on Hindus at a Brampton temple, Canadian MP Chandra Arya has come down closely on politicians pitting Hindus and Sikhs on “opposing sides” and asserted that the Hindu-Canadians and the Sikhs are on one aspect and the Khalistanis on the opposite.
Because of the deliberate actions of some politicians and the affect of Khalistanis, Canadians now mistakenly equate Khalistanis with Sikhs, Arya mentioned in wake of a number of Canadian politician making an attempt to painting the Brampton incident as a conflict between the Canadian Hindu and Sikh communities.
Protesters carrying Khalistani flags clashed with devotees at a Hindu Sabha temple and disrupted an occasion co-organised by the temple authorities and the Indian Consulate on November 3 at Brampton, a metropolis in Ontario’s Better Toronto Space.
“Politicians are intentionally avoiding recognising and mentioning Khalistanis as accountable for this assault or are shifting the blame to different entities. They’re deceptive Canadians by framing this as a problem between Hindus and Sikhs,” Arya, a member of Parliament from Nepean, Ontario, mentioned in a put up on X on Friday.
“Politicians are portraying Hindus and Sikhs as opposing sides concerning the assault on the temple by Khalistani extremists. This image is just not true. The 2 sides are literally Hindu-Canadians and the overwhelming majority of Sikh-Canadians on one aspect, and Khalistanis on the opposite,” Arya mentioned within the put up on X which had each a video and a textual content assertion.
Strongly condemning the assault by Khalistani extremists “on behalf of Hindu-Canadians and the overwhelming majority of Sikh-Canadians,” Arya additionally identified how it is not uncommon in Canada to see Hindus visiting Sikh Gurudwaras and Sikhs visiting Hindu temples.
“Politicians might attempt their greatest to divide Hindus and Sikhs. We will—and should—show them incorrect,” he appealed. “We, as Hindus and Sikhs, is not going to and mustn’t permit vested pursuits to divide us for his or her political acquire.” The relations between India and Canada have come underneath extreme pressure following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations in September final 12 months of a “potential” involvement of Indian brokers in Khalistan extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing.
New Delhi rejected Trudeau’s expenses as “absurd.” Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was designated a terrorist by India.
India has been sustaining that the primary concern between the 2 nations is that of Canada giving area to pro-Khalistan components working from Canadian soil with impunity.
India has expelled six Canadian diplomats and withdrawn its excessive commissioner Sanjay Verma and different “focused” officers from Canada after strongly dismissing Ottawa’s expenses.
Arya, who has been vocal on the problem earlier too, additionally talked about the Sikh neighborhood chief and former British Columbia Premier Ujjal Dosanjh, who mentioned {that a} silent majority of Sikhs don’t wish to have something to do with Khalistan and that they simply do not communicate out as a result of they’re afraid of violence and violent repercussions.
Dosanjh mentioned Khalistani supporters management most of the Gurudwaras in Canada however the silent Sikhs “nonetheless maintain energy over which politicians get elected,” Arya mentioned.
“Because of the deliberate actions of some politicians and the affect of Khalistanis, Canadians now mistakenly equate Khalistanis with Sikhs,” he mentioned, including, Hindus and Sikhs alike should educate Canadians “that we stand united in our battle in opposition to Khalistani extremists and their political backers.” He additionally appealed to Hindus and Sikhs in Canada to induce the neighborhood leaders “to not present a platform at any of our occasions or temples to politicians except they publicly recognise and expressly condemn Khalistani extremism.” In the meantime, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the presence of Khalistan supporters in Canada however mentioned they don’t symbolize the Sikh neighborhood as an entire.
His feedback got here throughout Diwali celebrations at Ottawa’s Parliament Hill lately amid an ongoing diplomatic row with India over Nijjar’s killing.
“There are various supporters of Khalistan in Canada, however they don’t symbolize the Sikh Group as an entire. Equally, there are supporters of Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi’s authorities in Canada, however they don’t symbolize all Hindu Canadians,” Trudeau mentioned.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)