Apr 06, 2025 11:47 AM IST
With between 500,000 and 600,000 Hindu-Canadians eligible to vote in the election on April 28, they could prove a significant bloc in areas like the GTA or Metro Vancouver and even cities like Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta
Toronto: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s campaign bus rolled into a Hindu temple on Saturday as he visited the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto.
He was greeted at the temple by Indo-Canadian Cabinet Minister Anita Anand, who later posted on X, “So pleased to welcome @markjcarney on his first visit to @bapstoronto to celebrate the birth of Lord Rama. A very Happy Ram Navami!”
Anand, who is contesting the federal election on April 28 from the riding (constituency) of Oakville East, was the first-ever Hindu Canadian to become a Cabinet Minister, when she was appointed Minister of Minister of Public Services and Procurement in 2019 by then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Also present at the temple were Liberal Party MPs from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
Carney’s visit came even there is disenchantment with the ruling party over its attitude towards pro-Khalistan elements in Canada. While that was mainly attributed to Trudeau during his tenure, there was increased frustration with the party when it revoked the candidacy of Indo-Canadian MP Chandra Arya last month based on unspecified “new information”. Quite conveniently, a day later, the party announced that Carney would replace the three-term MP as its candidate from Nepean.
With between 500,000 and 600,000 Hindu-Canadians eligible to vote in the federal election, they could prove a significant bloc in the riding-rich regions areas like the GTA or Metro Vancouver and even cities like Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta.
Reacting to Carney’s visit, the Hindu Canadian Foundation noted, in a statement, “The past few years have posed significant challenges for the Hindu community, which numbers over a million.”
It added, “The recent surge in anti-Hindu sentiment, fuelled by rising separatist groups, has deeply affected every Hindu Canadian. Addressing these pressing issues will be a critical focus for the upcoming Government.”
