A motion in the British Columbia legislature to designate the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as a genocide was defeated on Thursday. Proposed by Mandeep Dhaliwal, a member of the Conservative Party representing Surrey North, the motion sought to honor the victims and promote education about anti-Sikh violence. However, it was moved with insufficient notice, failing to secure unanimous consent required for expedited consideration. Critics, including Ravi Parmar from the ruling New Democratic Party (NDP), accused Dhaliwal of using the issue for political leverage, while Dallas Brodie, leader of OneBC, condemned the motion as an attempt to introduce foreign separatist propaganda into the legislature. The riots, which followed the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards, led to widespread violence, resulting in thousands of deaths. Past attempts to recognize these events have strained India-Canada relations, particularly following a successful motion in Ontario in 2017, which caused diplomatic tensions. Current Prime Minister Mark Carney has since worked to mend ties with India.