OTTAWA: Amid worsening India-Canada relations after Ottawa accused Indian officials of targeting pro-Khalistan elements in Canada, the country’s Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre canceled a Diwali celebration, organized by the overseas Indians at Parliament Hill, initially set to be hosted by Conservative MP Todd Doherty, on October 30.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the Overseas Friends of India Canada (OFIC), the event’s organizer, expressed disappointment over the lack of explanation for the sudden cancellation, calling the decision “insensitive and discriminatory.”
OFIC President Bhasker noted that previous years’ celebrations had seen participation from prominent political figures, including Poilievre himself, leaving many in the Indian community feeling “betrayed and unjustly singled out” by this year’s cancellation.
Bhasker issued a public statement urging Poilievre to apologize, stressing that Canadian citizens of Indian origin should not bear the brunt of tensions between Ottawa and New Delhi. “While these diplomatic issues are complex, they should not justify unfair treatment of Canadians of Indian heritage who have no ties to the Indian government,” he asserted.
Last year’s Diwali celebration, attended by Poilievre and India’s then-High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma, gathered over 500 guests.
“This incident exposes deeper issues of systemic discrimination,” Bhasker wrote, adding that the sudden withdrawal of political support highlights biases that still persist in Canada
