Dasvand
Ottawa (February 21, 2025): The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) supports Liberal candidates Gurwinder Singh Dusanjh (Sault Ste. Marie) and Vicky Dhillon (Brampton East) in their calls for the removal of Viresh Bansal as the Ontario Liberal candidate for Oshawa.
In a statement posted online, Gurwinder Singh Dusanjh stated, “I urge Leadership to withdraw Mr. Bansal’s candidacy. To do so would send a clear message that our party stands firmly on the side of justice, unity, and respect for all Ontarians, Canadians, humans.”
Vicky Dhillon went further, stating,
“My opinion on Viresh Bansal extends far beyond the comments he made online. This is a matter of right and wrong. I will not tolerate his behaviour or support him. Therefore, I am asking the leader of the Ontario Liberal Party to immediately and officially drop Viresh Bansal as the party’s candidate in Oshawa.”
WSO President Danish Singh said,
“We thank Vicky Dhillon and Gurwinder Singh Dusanjh for their courageous and principled positions on this issue. The fact that Liberal candidates themselves are having to call for action speaks volumes. Bonnie Crombie and the Ontario Liberal Party must act now to withdraw Bansal’s candidacy and send a clear message that there is zero tolerance for anti-Sikh hate and bigotry in politics.
Bansal’s hateful remarks—endorsing extrajudicial killings and using homophobic slurs—should have resulted in his immediate removal. Instead, Ontario Liberal leadership’s lack of action has emboldened those who seek to normalize hate and discrimination.
The Ontario Liberal Party needs to take immediate action before further damage is done to their credibility.”
The WSO is a non-profit national organization with a mandate to promote and protect the interests of Canadian Sikhs as well as to promote and advocate for the protection of human rights of all individuals.