Canadian Member of Parliament Chandra Arya expressed his firm opposition to a motion in the House of Commons that sought to label the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as genocide. He was the only MP present who opposed the motion, preventing it from being passed.

The "politically powerful Khalistani lobby" would probably try to push the motion again, the Canadian MP added, highlighting the constant pressure and threats he endures for speaking out for the Hindu-Canadian community. "Today, the Member of Parliament from Surrey-Newton attempted to have the Parliament declare the 1984 riots in India against Sikhs as a genocide. He sought unanimous consent from all Members of the House of Commons to pass his motion. I was the only Member present in the House to say NO, and my single objection was enough to prevent this motion from being approved," said Arya in a post on X. 

"Immediately after this, I was threatened inside the parliament building for standing up and saying no. There have been several attempts, both within the parliament and outside, to stop me from freely and publicly voicing the concerns of Hindu-Canadians. While I am proud of having stopped this divisive agenda from succeeding today, we cannot afford to be complacent. Next time, we may not be as fortunate," Arya added.

He added that Khalistan might attempt to reintroduce the motion. "The politically powerful Khalistani lobby will undoubtedly try again to push for Parliament to label the 1984 riots as genocide. There is no guarantee I will be in the House to block it the next time any other Member, from any political party, attempts to bring this motion forward," he said.

He encouraged Hindu-Canadians to connect with their MPs and work towards stopping the motion in the future. "I urge all Hindu-Canadians to act now. Reach out to your local Members of Parliament and secure their commitment to oppose this motion whenever it arises. The 1984 anti-Sikh riots in India, which followed the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards, were undeniably barbaric," the Canadian MP said.

Arya expressed sorrow over the loss of lives in the riots but stated that calling the riots a genocide would be "misleading and unjustified." He said, "Thousands of innocent Sikhs lost their lives in those horrific events, and we all condemn this brutality without reservation. However, labelling these tragic and dreadful riots as a genocide is misleading and unjustified."

"Such an assertion fuels the agenda of anti-Hindu forces and risks driving a wedge between the Hindu and Sikh communities in Canada. We must not let these divisive elements succeed in their efforts to destabilise harmony. The only way to prevent Canada's Parliament from declaring the 1984 riots as genocide is by ensuring that every MP--or at least a significant number of MPs--stand up and say NO when unanimous consent is sought," Arya further added. "Once again, I call upon Hindu-Canadians to reach out to your MPs and firmly request their opposition to this Khalistani-driven narrative," Arya stated, expressing his support for protecting the Hindu community. “Together, let's stand against this anti-Hindu agenda and safeguard our communities.”