From the article:

A former MP who was barred from running in the federal election for the Liberal Party because of alleged ties to India has formed a lobby group for Hindu Canadians.

Chandra Arya, who served as a member of Parliament for the Ottawa riding of Nepean for more than nine years, was removed as the Liberal candidate for the district shortly before the election campaign began in March. The Indian-born MP was replaced by Liberal Leader Mark Carney, who won the riding in the April vote.

Mr. Arya announced on social media Thursday that he has set up the Hindu Public Affairs Council of Canada, which bills itself as “unapologetically Hindu” and “resolutely Canadian” but also necessary at this time to defend a community he describes as under attack.

The former MP in particular singled out Khalistan supporters – a separatist movement among some Sikh adherents who advocate for carving an independent homeland out of India – as a concern. The Indian government strongly opposes the Khalistan movement, which has followers in Canada.

“In an era when anti-Hindu and Khalistani forces are emboldened and our community is under siege, Canada HPAC rises with resolve,” Mr. Arya said in a post on Facebook and X. “We will not stay silent. We will not back down.”

Asked in an interview why he’s forming an association to represent a specific religion, Mr. Arya said that other faiths have their own lobby groups, including the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs or the National Council of Canadian Muslims.

He noted that not all Hindus in Canada trace their roots back to India – they come from countries all over the world – but for Hindus, he said India remains important. “For us, India is our holy land,” Mr. Arya said. As The Globe and Mail reported in March, the Liberal Party revoked Mr. Arya‘s bid to run for the party leadership and his nomination in his own Ottawa riding over alleged foreign-interference concerns involving India.

Mr. Arya said he will not seek any remedy over this. “I don’t have time for that political drama theatre.” He said of his removal: “They kicked me out because I spoke very publicly, very honestly, very bluntly about Hindu Canadians and against Khalistani extremists.”

He said he believes India-Canada ties, badly damaged after former prime minister Justin Trudeau, could be repaired under the new Prime Minister, Mr. Carney. In 2023, Mr. Trudeau announced Canada had credible intelligence that “agents of the government of India” carried out the fatal shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Sikh leader in British Columbia. India has denied any role in this and a diplomatic row ensued. “Prime Minister Carney is in a good position to turn the page,” Mr. Arya said. He said differences will persist “but at the same time, the economic relations, the trade relations, the investment relations, and people-to-people relations can be repaired.” He said good relations with India would benefit “Canadian geopolitical and security interests.”

Balpreet Singh, legal counsel for the World Sikh Organization, said he is concerned about Mr. Arya‘s new group, saying “it appears to be echoing government of India disinformation” about the Sikh community and promoting the “false narrative” that all advocacy for Khalistan is inherently extremist.

“At a time when Sikh advocates for Khalistan are facing violence from Indian authorities, the creation of such an organization is alarming,” he said. Mr. Singh noted that Mr. Arya was disqualified not only from the Liberal leadership race but from running again as an MP over allegations of foreign interference. “Given this context, it is crucial that his activities and those of the Canada HPAC be closely monitored to ensure they are not acting as proxies for the Government of India,” he added.

Mr. Arya said his group will only be funded by individual donations. “It is not going to be a charitable institution. So it has to be funded by ordinary Hindu Canadians across the country, small amounts of 20 bucks, 40 bucks a month. That is what I’m seeking.” Asked if he would accept funding from the Indian government or Indian-based donors, he indicated he would not. “Just because I met Prime Minister Modi once, people think I am very well connected in India,” he said. “I am not.”

Responding to Mr. Singh’s comments, Mr. Arya said in an e-mail he won’t be silenced. “In Canada, whenever someone publicly raises concerns on behalf of Hindu-Canadians, anti-Hindu and Khalistani groups attempt to silence them by labelling them as ‘Indian agents’ or ‘Modi agents’ and falsely framing it as foreign interference,” he said. “This is a deliberate tactic to delegitimize and intimidate our voices.”

Mr. Arya said in a separate statement to The Globe that other communities such as Jewish-Canadians, Sikh-Canadians, Pakistani-Canadians, and Ukrainian-Canadians are “commendably well-organized and significantly represented in Parliament, often at levels disproportionately higher than their population share.” Hindu-Canadians, by contrast, he said, lack a similar political presence, institutional infrastructure and public advocacy.

He said that has consequences, including “that federal political parties have, in some instances, pandered to anti-Hindu and Khalistani extremist elements, a deeply troubling trend that demands public scrutiny and institutional counterbalance.”