Cameron MacKay, the High Commissioner for Canada in India, expressed strong condemnation on Wednesday for an event held in Brampton that celebrated the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, marking the anniversary of Operation Blue Star. This response followed the widespread sharing of videos on social media showing a tableau on the assassination of the late Indian Prime Minister by her Sikh bodyguards as part of a 5-kilometre-long parade in Brampton on June 4.


"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," MacKay wrote in a tweet.






The event came to public attention through a video that 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!"






Former union minister and Congress leader Milind Deora also took to Twitter to express his displeasure writing, "I'm appalled by the 5km-long parade which took place in the city of Brampton, Canada, depicting the assassination of Indira Gandhi. 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."






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.


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Concerns have recently arisen over the growing influence of Khalistan supporters in Canada. Last year, Canada faced criticism from India over a referendum on the creation of a separate Sikh country called "Khalistan."


The Ministry of External Affairs deemed the referendum "deeply objectionable" and a "politically motivated" activity by extremist elements. Canada has faced scrutiny regarding its efforts to address the rise of extremist voices targeting India.


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