Wednesday, May 13, 2026
ADVT 
National

Sikh rally in Toronto with multi-party support prompts India diplomatic rebuke

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 29 Apr, 2024 04:08 PM
  • Sikh rally in Toronto with multi-party support prompts India diplomatic rebuke

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh at the Khalsa Day rally in Toronto on Sunday.

The rally commemorates the Sikh faith, and some participants chanted and carried banners emblazoned with slogans calling for a state separate from India, known as Khalistan.

India formally summoned Canada's deputy high commissioner Monday, and the country's foreign ministry decried what it called "disturbing actions being allowed to continue unchecked at the event."

India's foreign ministry didn't specify what it took issue with, but noted there were displays of separatism and alleged this illustrates Canada tolerating "extremism and violence."

New Delhi and Ottawa have been at odds over the issue for decades, and the relationship has been significantly strained since Trudeau accused India of playing a role in the slaying of a Canadian Sikh leader last year. 

Canada insists it will not infringe on free speech, including when Sikh people call for the existence of Khalistan. 

But India says these comments violate its constitution.

India has pointed out instances of people in Canada openly glorifying those linked to the 1985 bombing of an Air India plane, whose passengers were largely Canadian citizens. 

Human-rights groups says the country's Hindu nationalist government has increasingly persecuted minorities in recent years.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly's office did not immediately comment on India's rebuke Monday. 

Joly has repeatedly said she wants to navigate the diplomatic rift with India in private. 

MORE National ARTICLES

Trudeau accuses Tories of turning their backs on Ukraine's needs, announces more aid

Trudeau accuses Tories of turning their backs on Ukraine's needs, announces more aid
In the House of Commons this week, Conservative MPs voted against a bill to implement a negotiated update to an existing trade deal between Canada and Ukraine, touching off a heated debate. Tory Leader Pierre Poilievre has insisted that they were rejecting the legislation because it promotes carbon pricing, which he said has been "devastating" for the Canadian economy, and not voting against the trade deal itself. 

Trudeau accuses Tories of turning their backs on Ukraine's needs, announces more aid

Some Home Decorators Collection artificial Christmas trees recalled over fire risk

Some Home Decorators Collection artificial Christmas trees recalled over fire risk
Home Depot is recalling some of its pre-lit artificial Christmas trees because they could pose a fire hazard. Health Canada says consumers should stop using the Home Decorators Collection 7.5 foot Grand Duchess Balsam Fir tree with 5000 Colour Changing Lights.

Some Home Decorators Collection artificial Christmas trees recalled over fire risk

Union says deal with Vancouver police would make officers highest paid in Canada

Union says deal with Vancouver police would make officers highest paid in Canada
The union representing Vancouver's police officers says it has reached a tentative labour agreement that, if passed, will see its members become Canada's highest-paid officers. Vancouver Police Union president Ralph Kaisers says negotiations with their employers began earlier this year, and the tentative collective agreement was reached on Oct. 31.  

Union says deal with Vancouver police would make officers highest paid in Canada

Canada's high court to rule if bankruptcy wipes out court-ordered fines in B.C. case

Canada's high court to rule if bankruptcy wipes out court-ordered fines in B.C. case
The Supreme Court of Canada has set a December date to hear an appeal from a British Columbia couple who argue their declaration of bankruptcy should wipe out millions of dollars in court-ordered fines owed to provincial securities authorities. The case of Thalbinder Singh Poonian and Shailu Poonian has been scheduled for Dec. 6 after Canada's highest court granted leave to appeal earlier this year.

Canada's high court to rule if bankruptcy wipes out court-ordered fines in B.C. case

City of Penticton lifts evacuation order for homes threatened by precarious rock

City of Penticton lifts evacuation order for homes threatened by precarious rock
Kristen Dixon, director of Penticton's Emergency Operations Centre, says the wall provides a "buffer" as crews work to secure the rock, which was discovered earlier this week with a large crack, leading to fears it would break off and damage nearby homes. The city says crews are set to begin stabilizing the rock, but the work could take several weeks to finish. 

City of Penticton lifts evacuation order for homes threatened by precarious rock

B.C. sex offender Randall Hopley stays in custody after skipping court date

B.C. sex offender Randall Hopley stays in custody after skipping court date
A high-risk sex offender arrested by Vancouver police after a 10-day manhunt earlier this month remains in custody awaiting his next court date. Randall Hopley was to appear in court on Friday, but his case was put off until Dec. 8 in British Columbia provincial court. 

B.C. sex offender Randall Hopley stays in custody after skipping court date