Ontario Liberals suspend Oshawa candidate Viresh Bansal's campaign

The Ontario Liberal Party has suspended Oshawa candidate Viresh Bansal's campaign, the party said on Friday.

Liberal press secretary Bahoz Dara Aziz confirmed the suspension in a text to a CBC Toronto reporter, but did not provide a reason. However, the PC Party recently brought to light a post Bansal made on X, formerly Twitter, in 2023, that has been described by many as anti-Sikh and homophobic.

Many have been urging the Liberal party to drop Bansal, including two of its own candidates — Vicky Dhillon (Brampton East) and Gurwinder Dusanjh (Sault Ste. Marie) — and Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith, the Ontario NDP and World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) . 

In the post, Bansal responded to an NDP statement on the killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the government had "credible allegations" linking agents of the Indian government to the fatal shooting in B.C.

"You can thank India for cleaning trash people. Ask your gay friend @JustinTrudeau to do the same," Bansal wrote.

Bansal apologized on Tuesday after the WSO called on Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie to pull his Liberal candidacy.

"I want to sincerely apologize, especially to the Sikh and LGBTQ2S+ communities," he wrote in a social media post. "My words were offensive and wrong, and I take full responsibility for the harm they caused."

Nijjar, 45, was shot dead in what appeared to be a highly coordinated attack as he left the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, B.C., on June 18, 2023. A Canadian citizen, Nijjar was a prominent local leader in the Khalistan movement pushing for the creation of an independent Sikh state in India. Four men are in custody accused of his murder.

Crombie did not comment on the suspension on Friday and the campaign said there would be no further comment from her on Friday night. But in appearance on Tuesday, she said she condemned the comments.

"I don't stand for them. They don't reflect who I am," Crombie said.

"I don't think they reflect the values of the Ontario Liberal Party. And I had asked this morning for an apology and I believe one has been issued to the Sikh community and also to the LGBTQ community as well," she added.

"You managed to offend two beloved groups in one tweet and this is completely unacceptable. It is not who I am. I don't stand for this. It is not who the Ontario Liberal Party is. He does not share our values and I'll leave it at that."

Post legitimizes violence, WSO says

In a statement on Monday, WSO President Danish Singh said the post was "a disgusting endorsement of an extrajudicial killing by India and a homophobic attack" on Trudeau.

"The fact that the Ontario Liberal campaign has not immediately and unequivocally condemned these remarks is unacceptable. There is no place in Canadian politics for candidates who celebrate state-sponsored killings and use hateful, homophobic rhetoric," Singh said.  

"Bansal has shown a pattern of anti-Sikh hate targeting Sikh politicians. Bansal's words are not just offensive — they are dangerous and legitimize violence against minorities in Canada." 

Other Ontario Liberal candidates called for removal

The other Liberal candidates who wanted Bansal removed expressed outrage about his post.

In a statement on Thursday, Dhillon said Bansal's apology did not repair the hurt he caused. Dhillon added that he would not tolerate his behaviour or support him.

"Bansal's comments are reprehensible, unacceptable and will never represent my views or opinions," Dhillon said.

Dusanjh expressed similar views in a post on X on Friday before Bansal was dropped.

"The Ontario Liberal Party must set an example by demonstrating that we do not merely advocate for inclusivity and respect, but we actively embody those values," Dusanjh wrote.

A third Ontario Liberal candidate, Jawad Haroon, who is running in Mississauga-Malton, said in a statement on Friday that he thinks the comment was hateful and he also wanted Bansal to be removed.

"Since his history of despicable comments has come to light, I have repeatedly heard from residents of Mississauga Malton who have expressed anger and disgust at his hateful remarks about members of our community," Haroon wrote. "These are views that I share."

Suspension comes less than a week before election

Two Ontario NDP candidates, Martin Singh (Brampton East) and Sukhamrit Singh (Brampton Centre), said in a news release on Tuesday that they found it "shocking" that the Liberals were allowing Bansal to continue his campaign.

They also called on Crombie to apologize and "state clearly that she is against violence and racism directed at the Sikh community."

The PC Party, for its part, said in a statement on Monday that the comment was "racially insensitive." The party criticized Crombie for her silence on the issue and her continued support of Bansal.

On his website, Bansal is described as a "dedicated advocate" for Oshawa and a "proud husband and father." The website says he has a bachelor in technology and experience in providing IT support to government and businesses.

Other candidates in Oshawa, a riding east of Toronto, include NDP candidate Jennifer French, PC candidate Jerry J. Ouellette and Green Party candidate Nicholas Sirgool. 

Ontario residents go to the polls in a provincial election on Feb. 27. Advance voting is underway.