The Hindu-Canadian community has come down heavily against Canada’s opposition leader Pierre Poilievre for canceling his participation in a Diwali event due to Canada’s diplomatic conflict with India. Hindus of Canada said the opposition leader’s office’s attempt to cancel Diwali celebrations showed the community was viewed as “outsiders” in a country that prides itself on its multiculturalism.

The Overseas Friends of India Canada (OFIC) criticized Pierre Poilievre’s office in a letter after he and leaders of his Conservative Party pointed it out withdrawn from the Diwali event that had been shaped for 23 years.

No explanation was given for the cancellation, OFIC President Shiv Bhasker wrote in the letter.

“The sudden withdrawal of politicians from this event, triggered by the current diplomatic situation between Canada and India, has left us feeling betrayed and unfairly excluded,” the OFIC said.

Poilievre’s cancellation of the Diwali event came at the same time as India-Canada relations reached an all-time low According to Ottawa, Indian diplomats were allegedly involved in gathering information and Using criminal gangs to target Khalistani leaders. India recalled its high commissioner and expelled six Canadian diplomats.

“The letter represents the collective voice of the Indo-Canadian community, particularly the 850,000-member Hindu Canadians, an educated, prosperous, law-abiding and family-oriented community,” the OFIC letter said.

The Indian-Canadian organization said Poilievre’s move shows how the Indian community is viewed as “outsiders” in Canada.

“This is not just about a canceled Diwali event or an event where politicians fail to fulfill their commitment to attend; there is a much deeper and insidious problem at stake. Racism and discrimination thrive in Canada, and this latest development has exposed the systemic prejudices that still exist,” Bhasker wrote.

The India-Canada conflict comes ahead of Canada’s 2025 general election, and New Delhi blames Justin Trudeau’s “vote bank politics” for the country harboring Khalistani elements.

Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party is expected to win the election. However, the Hindu community has asked them to be cautious ahead of the crucial election.

“Remember, we will remember our friends at the time of exercising our right to vote,” the Indian-Canadian organization said in the letter.

There are numerous posts on social media from Pierre Poilievre over the years showing him celebrating Diwali, but this year he has decided not to attend the Diwali celebration on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

Canadian Hindus reacted strongly on social media to the decision to pull out of the event, with one calling it “disheartening.”

“It will cost you a lot! You jumped at the chance to become Prime Minister of Canada,” wrote an X user from Toronto.

Daniel Bordman, a Canadian journalist, called Poilievre’s move “absolutely disgraceful.”

He said Poilievre and the Conservative Party pulled out of Diwali celebrations because they were “afraid that the Liberals and the media would accuse them of foreign interference.”

OFIC’s letter asked Poilievre to apologize for an “insensitive and discriminatory act” and said the Indo-Canadian community contributed to the fabric of Canadian society. Diwali, the organization says, is a festival of unity and togetherness, and by distancing themselves from it, Poilievre and his party have turned it into a moment of division.