Indo-Canadian MP organizes Diwali celebration at Parliament Hill, hoists Hindu flag

A grand Diwali celebration was hosted by Indian-Canadian MP Chandrashekhar Arya at Parliament Hill here, during which he also hoisted the Hindu flag along with the sacred symbol Om, the MLA said. Arya, who hails from Karnataka, said the Diwali celebration organized by him on Sunday saw a huge turnout of Indians from several Canadian cities like Ottawa, Greater Toronto Area and Montreal. “I was delighted to host Diwali at Parliament Hill,” he said in a post on Twitter. We also used the occasion to hoist the flag of the Hindu sacred symbol Om on Parliament Hill.

Parliament Hill is the home of the Canadian federal government, where representatives from across Canada gather to make laws that affect the lives of every Canadian. The MLA said the turnout was great with participants from Ottawa, the Greater Toronto Area, Montreal and many other locations. The event was supported by 67 Hindu and Indo-Canadian organizations across Canada. The added joy this year was that Diwali is also part of Hindu Heritage Month across Canada. My heartfelt thanks to all the people, volunteers and excellent cultural performers who participated in this program.

The Diwali celebrations come as bilateral relations between India and Canada are under severe strain following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations in September of the possible involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in the Canadian city of Surrey in June.