‘Remove Turban to Look More Canadian’: Voter to Jagmeet Singh

Singh, unperturbed by his words, disagreed saying, “This is Canada, you can do whatever you like.”

Canada’s NDP leader Jagmeet Singh interacting with voters in Montreal.

(Photo Courtesy: @DebraArbecCBC/Altered by The Quint)

During an interaction with voters in Montreal, Jagmeet Singh, Canada's New Democratic Party (NDP) leader, received some unsolicited and racial advice on Wednesday, 2 October, where one of the voters suggested that he should "cut off his turban" to look more Canadian.

Giving a befitting reply, Singh said, "Canadians look (like) all sorts of people.”

The video, which has been widely circulated on social media, shows the turbaned leader shaking hands with the voter. The voter then leans forward to make the suggestion and adds, "In Rome, you do like the Romans do."

Singh, unperturbed by the voters’ words, disagreed saying, “This is Canada, you can do whatever you like.”

The NDP leader later took to Twitter and said, “Many Canadians are told that we must change who we are to succeed. My message to you: Do not change who you are. Everyone deserves their place.”

‘Incredible Response to Bigotry,’ Say Twitter Users

Singh further added that, like many others in Canada, he too had faced racism and discrimination across the country.

In March, the Indian-origin leader had created political history in Canada when he made his debut in the House of Commons as the first non-white leader of a major opposition party in the country.