Violence not acceptable, says Canada minister on Indira’s posters

Ottawa, June 8

Promotion of violence is never acceptable in Canada, a minister has said after posters depicting the assassination of India’s former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi were reportedly put up by Khalistan supporters in Vancouver.

An Indian-origin Canadian lawmaker, Chandra Arya, also expressed concern over the issue, saying by doing so, the Khalistan supporters are trying to instil fear of violence in Hindu Canadians.

“This week, there were reports of imagery depicting the assassination of ex-Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in Vancouver,” Dominic A LeBlanc, the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs said on X. “The promotion of violence is never acceptable in Canada,” he said.

Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984.

Meanwhile, Arya, who represents the electoral district of Nepean in the House of Commons of Canada, said: “Khalistan supporters in Vancouver with posters of Hindu ex-Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s body with bullet holes with her bodyguards-turned assassins holding their guns, are again attempting to instil fear of violence in Hindu-Canadians. This is a continuation of threats with a similar float in Brampton a couple of years back and a few months back (Gurpatwant Singh) Pannun of Sikhs for Justice asking Hindus to go back to India.