Ottawa: Canadian opposition leader Pierre Poilievre is under fire for reportedly cancelling a Diwali event scheduled at Parliament amid the ongoing India-Canada diplomatic row.
The Overseas Friends of India Canada (OFIC), organisers of the Diwali celebration initially scheduled to be hosted by Conservative MP Todd Doherty on October 30, received no explanation for the event’s cancellation.
Relations between India and Canada have reached a new low following Ottawa’s allegations that Indian diplomats were involved in gathering information and collaborating with criminal gangs to target pro-Khalistan movement members. In response, India recalled its ambassador from Ottawa and expelled six Canadian diplomats.
OFIC president Shiv Bhasker expressed disappointment over the cancellation in a letter to Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.
#BREAKING: Canada’s opposition leader Pierre Poilievre has cancelled the Diwali celebrations, slated to take place at Parliament Hill, amid the ongoing diplomatic row with India.
Overseas Friends of India Canada (OFIC), the event’s organiser, received no explanation for the… pic.twitter.com/Jp5DI7eBo7— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) October 30, 2024
In the letter, Bhasker said that several political leaders who had attended the event in previous years unexpectedly withdrew this year, leaving the community “feeling betrayed and unjustly singled out.
Poilievre has not yet spoken on the event’s cancellation nor has he given any statements about the reason behind the cancellation.
The OFIC president has called for an apology from Poilievre, condemning what he described as an “insensitive and discriminatory act.” He stressed that while tensions between New Delhi and Ottawa are serious, they should not result in the unfair treatment of Canadians of Indian origin, who have no connections to the Indian government.
During the November 2023 Diwali celebration, Poilievre and then-High Commissioner of India to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, addressed the gathering, which was attended by approximately 540 guests.
