Toronto: India told Canada bluntly that "glorification" of assassins of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during a Vaishakhi parade in British Columbia is "absolutely unacceptable" and demanded steps to address its concerns.

Indian High Commissioner to Canada R L Narayan raised the issue with Canadian Foreign Office yesterday.

"Glorification of terrorism is absolutely unacceptable on Canadian soil. We have conveyed our concerns to the government of Canada," Narayan said today.

India's protest came after a parade to celebrate Vaisakhi, the Sikh New Year, by Sikh immigrants in Surrey this month featured a banner terming the assassins of Gandhi as martyrs .

Their images were displayed in a tent near the April 12 parade, along with pictures of the founders of Babbar Khalsa and the International Sikh Youth Federation.

Both the groups, which advocate for a separate Sikh state in Punjab known as Khalistan, are designated as terrorist organisations by Canada.

"Displaying these pictures of dead terrorists amounts to glorification of terrorism and violence ...showing them as martyrs is unacceptable to us," Narayan said.

"We want Canada to address this issue, to take into account our concerns," he said.

Narayan said the Indian government complained to Canadian Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Helena Guergis about the parade earlier this month while the minister was in New Delhi.

Source : PTI