Canada’s opposition leader, Pierre Poilievre, has called off Diwali celebrations planned for Parliament Hill, following escalating diplomatic tensions with India. The event, originally scheduled for October 30 and organized by the Overseas Friends of India Canada (OFIC), was to be hosted by Conservative MP Todd Doherty. OFIC reported receiving no formal reason for the cancellation.

Relations between Canada and India have recently deteriorated after Canada accused Indian diplomats of gathering intelligence and allegedly collaborating with criminal groups to target pro-Khalistan activists. In response, India recalled its ambassador from Ottawa and expelled six Canadian diplomats.

OFIC President Shiv Bhasker expressed disappointment in a letter to Poilievre, lamenting that many political figures who had previously attended the event declined this year, leaving the Indian-origin community feeling "betrayed and singled out." Bhasker called the decision to cancel the Diwali celebration an “insensitive and discriminatory act” and requested an apology, stressing that the political dispute should not lead to unfair treatment of Indian-origin Canadians, many of whom have no government ties.

At the Diwali event held in 2023, Poilievre and then-High Commissioner of India to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, addressed a gathering of around 540 attendees. Reflecting on this past celebration, Bhasker noted the current decision as more than a missed event, describing it as evidence of “systemic biases” and pointing to broader issues of discrimination that persist within Canadian society.