Tories regret participation in parade honouring alleged terrorist
Last Updated: Thursday, April 19, 2007 | 8:29 PM PT
CBC News
The federal Conservatives have expressed their regret for participating in a Sikh parade that celebrated an Indo-Canadian viewed by many in Canada as a terrorist and murderer.
But other political parties continue to remain silent on their participation in the event they say was a celebration of Sikh culture.
B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell is shown at a controversial Sikh parade earlier this month that has enraged the Indian government and Air India families.
The parade April 7 in Surrey, B.C., has enraged the Indian government and Air India families because organizers included Talwinder Parmar in their display of Sikh martyrs and saints.
Parmar, who was killed 15 years ago by the Indian police, led the 1985 Air India bomb plot which killed 331 civilians, mostly Canadians.
Conservative, Liberal and NDP members of Parliament, as well as B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell, attended the event. A week after the parade, federal NDP Leader Jack Layton visited the temple that organized it.
Federal NDP Leader Jack Layton visited the temple that organized controversial parade in Surrey, B.C.
"Had we known that this particular event was going to have that kind of an element of extremism, I don't think our MPs would have been there and we'll be very mindful about who's organizing that particular event next year," said Conservative MP Jason Kenney, secretary of state for multiculturalism and Canadian identity.
Other politicians have been silent on the portrayal of Parmar as a Sikh hero.
Sudager Singh Sandhu, president of the temple, told CBC News that he considers Parmar a "great man," even though at the Air India trial, the Crown, defence and judge all agreed that Parmar was the leader of the plot.
"It's not proved he's terrorist. I can say you're a terrorist. You can say me a terrorist. It's easy to say terrorist [to] everybody.
"I love him. He's a great man. Because he never guilty."
