- Thursday, February 27, 2025
The Indian-born parliamentarian spoke in a lengthy video message after Khalistan separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun asked Hindu Canadians to return to India.
By: Shubham Ghosh
CHANDRA Arya, an Indian-born Canadian parliamentarian belonging to the Liberal Party of prime minister Justin Trudeau has alleged that extremist elements were “attacking” and “threatening” Hindu Canadians and urged the community to stay calm and remain vigilant and report to the law-enforcement agencies any untoward incident that they face.
The 60-year-old MP from Nepean, who was born in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, posted a video message on X, formerly Twitter, in response to a recent threat to the Hindu Canadians issued by Khalistan leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in which he asked them to leave Canada and return to India.
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
“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,” Arya said in his lengthy message.
“I have heard from many Hindu-Canadians who are fearful after this targeted attack. I urge Hindu-Canadians to stay calm but vigilant. Please report any incident of Hinduphobia to your local law enforcement agencies,” he added.
The politician accused the Khalistan movement leader of provoking the Hindu Canadians to react and “divide the Hindu and Sikh communities” in the North American country.
He also said that the majority of Canadian Sikhs do not back the Khalistan movement.
“Let me be clear. Vast majority of our Canadian Sikh brothers and sisters do not support the Khalistan movement. Most Sikh Canadians may not publicly condemn the Khalistan movement for several reasons but they are deeply connected to the Hindu Canadian community. Canadian Hindus and Sikhs are connected through family relationships and shared social and cultural ties,” Arya said.
He called the Khalistan movement leader’s “direct attack” on Hindu Canadians a further escalation of the recent attacks on Hindu temples and public ‘celebration’ of the assassination of former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi by her own Sikh bodyguards in 1984.
The incidents have drawn India’s ire and its foreign minister had said that if unchecked, they would take a toll on the bilateral relations of India and Canada.
“Canada has high moral values and we fully uphold the rule of law,” he added.
Expressing dismay at “glorification of terrorism” and hate crime being allowed in the name of “freedom of expression”, Arya said, “I can’t understand how the glorification of terrorism or a hate crime targeting a religious group is allowed in the name of freedom of speech and expression. There would be an outrage in Canada if a white supremacist attacked any group of racialized Canadians asking them to get out of our country. But apparently, this Khalistani leader can get away with this hate crime.”
He said the Hindu Canadians, who maintain a low profile, are considered soft targets and the anti-Hindu elements cannot digest their success.
“Two well-organized groups claiming to represent their faiths have been attacking Hindu-Canadian community leaders, Hindu organizations and even me. For over 10 months, I have been attacked for raising a flag with our Hindu religious sacred symbol Aum on our parliament hill,” the parliamentarian said.
“As Canadians, we can be proud of our Hindu faith and heritage and our impressive contribution to the socio-economic success of our country Canada,” he added.
The Labour MP’s expressions came days after PM Trudeau alleged the Indian government’s involvement in the elimination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistan separatist leader who India designated as a terrorist, in Surrey in British Columbia in June. Canada also expelled a senior Indian diplomat soon after.
India strongly reacted to the development, calling the claims “absurd” and “motivated” and in a tit-for-tat move, gave marching orders to a senior Canadian diplomat.
