India objects to ‘distasteful’ Indira float in Canada on Blue Star anniversary
New Delhi, June 7
The Indian High Commission in Ottawa will be formally protesting a distasteful float depicting the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, by Khalistani separatists in front of the Indian Consulate in Vancouver on the anniversary of Operation Blue Star on June 6.
The separatists also pierced a flag of Russia with swords before setting it on fire. A similar distasteful float was displayed in Brampton, Greater Toronto, earlier too, which had led to a protest from the Indian Foreign Office on June 4 last year. It showed a life-size image of Indira Gandhi punctured by bullets along with cut outs of her assassins — Beant Singh and Satwant Singh.
In the last spat on the issue between the two governments, India had summoned the Canadian Deputy High Commissioner on April 29. The Indian Foreign Office had expressed concern over separatist slogans on ‘Khalistan’ raised at an event which was attended by Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. Such “disturbing actions” not only impact India-Canada relations but also encourage a climate of violence and criminality in Canada to the detriment of its own citizens, the MEA had said at that time.
