Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who is campaigning aggressively ahead of April 28 federal elections, showed up at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto on Saturday (April 5) to mark the festival of Ram Navami.
At the temple, Indo-Canadian Cabinet Minister Anita Anand received the PM, who later wrote 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!” With her, Liberal Party MPs from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) were also present at the temple.
Significance of Hindu voters in Canada elections
According to media reports, there are about 600,000 Hindu Canadians eligible to vote in the upcoming elections. They form significant voting blocs in regions like the GTA or Metro Vancouver and even cities like Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta.
Their support can be critical for political parties in a case of tough competition.
Tensions persist
Despite recent efforts by PM Carney to placate Hindus, tensions with the ruling Liberal party have persisted.
For instance, the party’s soft stance on Khalistani extremism has stoked fears among Hindus.
Content retrieved from: https://www.firstpost.com/world/temple-visit-tough-questions-canada-pm-carney-reaches-out-to-hindus-ahead-of-polls-13877738.html.
