‘Not Good For Relationships’: EAM S Jaishankar On Canada Event Celebrating Assassination Of Indira Gandhi

The event, which displayed a tableau of Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her Sikh bodyguards, came to the attention of the public after a video surfaced on social media platforms. 

EAM S Jaishankar reacts of event celebrating assassination of Indira Gandhi in Canada

Source : PTI File Photo

External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Thursday reacted to the event celebrating the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in Canada’s Brampton city. Speaking at a media briefing, the Union minister asked why would anyone do this other than the requirements of vote bank politics. He also put the ball in Canada’s court saying the larger issue was the space given to such separatists and extremists. “...I think there is a bigger issue involved...Frankly, we are at a loss to understand other than the requirements of vote bank politics why anybody would do this…” he said. 

“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, not good for Canada,” Jaishankar added. 

#WATCH | EAM Dr S Jaishankar speaks on reports of late PM Indira Gandhi's assassination celebration in Canada; says, "...I think there is a bigger issue involved...Frankly, we are at a loss to understand other than the requirements of vote bank politics why anybody would do… pic.twitter.com/VsNP82T1Fb

— ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2023

The event, which displayed a tableau of Gandhi’s assassination by her Sikh bodyguards, came to the attention of the public after a video surfaced on social media platforms. 

A Twitter user who shared the video wrote, "A float depicting the murder of the late Indian PM by her Sikh bodyguards being part of about a 5 KM long parade in the city of Brampton on June 4th. Jody Thomas may reflect on it!" 

Condemning the incident, Cameron MacKay, the High Commissioner for Canada in India said, "I am appalled by reports of an event in Canada that celebrated the assassination of late Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. There is no place in Canada for hate or for the glorification of violence. I categorically condemn these activities."

Indira Gandhi, who served as Prime Minister of India, was assassinated at her residence in New Delhi on October 31, 1984, months after Operation Blue Star, which was carried out by the Indian Army between June 1 and June 10, 1984, to remove militants from the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The operation resulted in significant casualties and also caused damage to the Golden Temple, the holiest site in Sikhism.

700 Indian Students From Punjab Face Deportation From Canada

Meanwhile, 700 Indian students, mainly from Punjab face deportation from Canada after the authorities in the North American country found “admission offer letters” to educational institutions to be fake. The matter came to the fore after these students applied for permanent residency in Canada in March. 

In connection with the matter, Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldip Singh Dhaliwal on Tuesday sought the intervention of Jaishankar in the case, as per a PTI report. 

In the letter to the EAM, Dhaliwal said, “These (700) students are innocent and have been cheated by the clique of fraudsters…” “I shall be highly grateful if you again look into the matter personally and take up the matter with concerned agencies including the High Commission of Canada and the government of Canada so that these students can be saved from being deported,” wrote Dhaliwal.

These students should not be deported and given work permits considering their visas, he said.