During a parade marking the 39th anniversary of Operation Blue Star, figures of Indira Gandhi and her killers—members of her security detail—were prominently exhibited. Which depicted that the assassination was a “revenge for attack on Shri Darbar Sahib,” a reference to Indian troops storming the Golden Temple in 1984 to expel the terrorists, according to a sign on the march tableau.
Congress leader, Milind Deora, sharing a video clip of the event, said he was appalled by the parade which took place in the city of Brampton in Canada.
He tweeted, “It’s not about taking sides, it’s about respect for a nation’s history & the pain caused by its Prime Minister’s assassination. This extremism deserves universal condemnation & a united response.”
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also tweeted in agreement with Deora and urged EAM Dr. S Jaishankar to take up the matter with the Canadian government.
EAM Jaishankar slammed the Canadian government for the parade celebrating Indira Gandhi’s assassination and said that Canada is giving space to separatists and extremists which is not good for India-Canada ties.
Jaishankar said, “Frankly, we are at a loss to understand, other than the requirements of vote-bank politics, why anybody would do this… I think there is a larger underlying issue about the space which is given to separatists, to extremists, to people who advocate violence. I think it is not good for relationships, and not good for Canada.”
India’s High Commission in Ottawa formally expressed its dissatisfaction to the Global Affairs Canada regarding the presence of a controversial tableau. The Canadian High Commissioner in New Delhi, Cameron Mackay, condemned the event celebrating the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, stating that there is no tolerance for hate or the glorification of violence in Canada.
Source: Hindustan Times, Indian Express
