NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh continued to walk a fine line on Monday while condemning the violence that broke out between clashing groups with opposing views on the Indian government at a Hindu place of worship in Brampton, Ont., Sunday.
During a press conference in Ottawa, Singh continued a pattern of not mentioning Khalistani activists, whose flags were seen striking worshipers, in his condemnation of Sunday’s events.
A reporter asked him about his stance on violence and comments made by Liberal MP Chandra Arya and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, to which he made sweeping statements of condemnation about violence at places of worship while taking jabs at Arya.
“Violence is just wrong. Unequivocally. The violence that we saw (on Sunday) was absolutely wrong, particularly at places of prayer,” he said. “People can protest and should be free to protest. It should not be happening where people are attending to pray or attending to find peace and to have violent clashes.”
Arya took to X following an article by the Toronto Star about the back-and-forth between parliamentarians.
“NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh refuses to acknowledge the presence of violent Khalistani extremism in Canada, despite the RCMP’s clear statement during their Thanksgiving Day press conference that the national task force is actively investigating Khalistani violent extremism, among other threats,” Arya said. “The NDP leader has zero credibility when it comes to speaking on extremism in Canada.”
He continued noting that Singh “finally acknowledged” that Khalistani terrorists were responsible for the Air India flight 182 bombing in 1985, which killed 329 people in total, including 268 Canadian citizens.
“I am eager to know his current stance on the Khalistani conspiracy theory and their audacious demand, through a parliamentary petition, for yet another inquiry into the Air India bombing,” he said. “Even though two Canadian inquiry commissions have established that Khalistani terrorists were responsible.”
In 2018, Singh gave a speech at a pro-Khalistani rally in San Francisco where images of Talwinder Singh Parmar, the man found guilty of orchestrating the bombing, were present. He condemned the Air India Bombing, the worst terrorist attack on Canadian soil in history, but did not mention Parmar by name.
In 2019 after the leader’s debates Singh gave a nod to the Khalistan movement speaking about the right to peacefully advocate for independence without condemning Khalistani actions.
Singh fired back at Arya, accusing him of repeating Indian government lines and conspiracy theories.
“It is very problematic that an elected Canadian official is parroting the lines of a foreign government that engaged in allegations of serious violence and terror against Canadians. So he should stop,” Singh said.
In response to the violence at the Hindu temple on Sunday, Arya said the violence “shows how deep and brazen Khalistani violent extremism has become in Canada.”
“I begin to feel that there is a small grain of truth in the reports that in addition to Canadian political apparatus, Khalistanis have effectively infiltrated into our law enforcement agencies,” Arya said on X. “Hindu-Canadians, for the security and safety of our community, need to step up and asserts their rights and hold politicians accountable.”
Singh said elected officials should try to calm tensions and accused Arya of escalating tensions and “driving divisions” with “conspiracy theories.”
“What we need to see is an end to the violence, and we need to see a firm stance against the Indian government,” Singh said. “And to be united in our condemnation of violence happening at places of prayer.”
Modi condemned the violence which he called a “deliberate attack on a Hindu temple in Canada” on X.
“Equally appalling are the cowardly attempts to intimidate our diplomats. Such acts of violence will never weaken India’s resolve,” he said. “We expect the Canadian government to ensure justice and uphold the rule of law.”
In 2013, the Indian government denied Singh the right to visit India on a visa.
