Speaking to the Sikhs on the occasion of Khalsa Day, Trudeau hailed Canada’s diversity and said, “One of Canada’s greatest strengths is its diversity.We are strong not in spite of our differences, but because of our differences; but even as we look at these differences, we have to remember, and get reminded on days such as this, and every day, that Sikh values are Canadian values.”
“To the nearly 800,000 Canadians of Sikh heritage across this country, we will always be there to protect your rights and your freedoms, and we will always defend your community against hatred and discrimination,” he added.
The Canadian PM also said that the country is also working upon enhancing the security and infrastructure programmes by adding more security at community centres and places of worship, including Gurudwaras.”
“I know many of you have loved ones that you want to see more often, that is why our government has negotiated a new agreement with India to add more flights, and more routes between our countries, and we will keep working with our counterparts to add even more flights, including to Amritsar,” he further said.
Reportedly, Many Khalistani supporters were also present in the crowd and chanted pro-Khalistan slogans as he delivered his speech.
Thousands of Sikhs flocked to downtown Toronto on Khalsa day for one of the biggest yearly gatherings in the city.
It is notable that Trudeau’s remarks come at a time when the diplomatic relations between India and Canada is going through a difficult phase. The killing of India-designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, sparked a row between India and Canada.
The killing led to accusations from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the government of India had a hand in the killing — a claim that was denied by India and led to the deterioration of diplomatic ties between Canada and India.
In September last year, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made allegations of Indian involvement in Nijjar’s killing on Canadian soil. India had, however, rejected the allegations, calling them “absurd and motivated.”
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Canada has not been able to present any evidence to back its claims over the killing.
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