India has lodged a strong protest with Canada over a controversial parade held in Toronto that featured what New Delhi described as “unacceptable imagery” and “threatening language” targeting Indian leadership, reports said.
The parade, held on Sunday, reportedly included floats displaying pro-Khalistan propaganda and visuals attacking Indian leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
🚨#BREAKING: India slams Canada over the anti-India hate parade in Toronto.😡😡
Threatening imagery, extremist slogans targeting Indian leadership — this is not free speech, it’s sponsored separatism.🤬😡
New Delhi has conveyed its anger in the strongest terms. #Canada must… pic.twitter.com/UcBFgHhKej
— 𝐑𝐚𝐡𝐮𝐥 𝐊𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐫 (@Rahulk123d) May 5, 2025
Official sources told the Press Trust of India (PTI) that India conveyed its concerns in the “strongest terms” to the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi. The protest underscores India’s deepening frustration over what it sees as repeated provocations by anti-India elements operating with impunity on Canadian soil.
New Delhi Wants Concrete Action
“We conveyed our concerns in the strongest terms to the Canadian High Commission regarding the parade held in Toronto, where unacceptable imagery and threatening language were used against our leadership and Indian citizens residing in Canada,” the source told PTI.
New Delhi has once again called upon Canadian authorities to take concrete action against extremist and separatist groups that continue to operate from within Canada. “We once again call on the Canadian authorities to act against anti-India elements who spread hatred and advocate extremism and separatist agenda,” the source added.
Straining An Already Fragile Relationship
The latest development marks another setback in the already fragile relationship between India and Canada. The ties had hit a historic low in September 2023 when former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged the “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. India rejected the allegations outright, calling them “absurd and motivated”.
Relations deteriorated further when Ottawa linked several Indian diplomats, including High Commissioner Sanjay Verma, to the incident. In response, New Delhi withdrew Verma and five other diplomats and expelled an equal number of Canadian diplomats from India in a tit-for-tat move.
However, hopes for a thaw in relations had emerged recently following the exit of Trudeau and the rise of Mark Carney, a political newcomer and economist, who led the Liberal Party to a surprise electoral victory. New Delhi had expressed optimism that Carney’s leadership could offer a fresh opportunity to rebuild bilateral ties based on mutual trust and sensitivity.
India has consistently maintained that the primary cause of the downturn in ties was the attitude shown by Trudeau’s government towards extremist and secessionist elements.
