New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday hit out at Canada, where a tableau 'celebrating' the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by Sikh bodyguards, featured in a parade, saying that it is "not good for the relationship".
"There is a bigger issue involved. And the bigger issue involved is the space that Canada has continuously... and frankly, we are at a loss to understand other than the requirements of vote bank politics, why anybody would do this," Jaishankar told reporters at a press briefing here held to mark 9 years of the Narendra Modi-led government.
”I think there is a larger underlying issue about the space which is given to separatists, to extremists, to people who advocate violence. I think it is not good for the relationship, it is not good for Canada," the External Affairs minister said. The tableau, which 'celebrated' the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was part of a five-km-long parade held in the Canadian city of Brampton on June 4. The footage of the tableau was shared on Twitter by one user Balraj Deol.
Meanwhile, Congress leader and former Member of Parliament (MP) Milind Deora also expressed his displeasure over the tableau, which depicted the killing of Indira Gandhi. "As an Indian, I'm appalled by the 5km-long #parade which took place in the city of Brampton, Canada, depicting the assassination of #IndiraGandhi. It's not about taking sides, it's about respect for a nation's history & the pain caused by its Prime Minister’s assassination. This extremism deserves universal condemnation & a united response," Deora said in a tweet.
Former PM Indira Gandhi was assassinated at her residence in New Delhi on 31 October 1984. She was assassinated months after Operation Bluestar was carried out by the Indian Army to remove Khalistani militants from the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Also read: Large parts of world see India as development partner: S Jaishankar
