‘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.”

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."

VIDEO of NDP leader Jagmeet Singh being confronted at Montreal's Atwater Market by someone who advised him that he should remove his turban. #cdnpoli #polqc pic.twitter.com/iNFQ4QGlmW

— Debra Arbec (@DebraArbecCBC) October 2, 2019

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.”

Beaucoup de Canadien·nes se font dire qu'on doit changer qui nous sommes pour réussir. Mon message pour vous : ne changez pas qui vous êtes. Tout le monde mérite sa place. https://t.co/T8wDnfsNMi

— Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) October 2, 2019

‘Incredible Response to Bigotry,’ Say Twitter Users

“I think Canadians looks like all sorts of people” says Canada’s @NDP leader @theJagmeetSingh responding to a man who said “you should cut your turban off to look more like a Canadian”. A class act & incredible response to bigotry. #elxn43 #polcan #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/4cEIBSpHAO

— Joseph Willits (@josephwillits) October 2, 2019

That uncomfortable laugh from Jagmeet Singh and his wife Gurkiran Kaur Sidhu at the end of this video is familiar. I can't tell you how many times someone said something racist to me and my knee-jerk reaction was to smile or laugh it off, just so the interaction would end. https://t.co/U1UhLAVQvE

— Ishani Nath (@ishaninath) October 2, 2019

Let’s all try to remember that Jagmeet Singh is having to deal with things no other major party leader has ever had to deal with. #elxn43 https://t.co/rMGTxfSROX

— Sarah Boesveld (@sarahboesveld) October 2, 2019

“This is Canada, you can do whatever you like.”

Jagmeet Singh calmly but forcefully sends a bigot on his way. Leadership. pic.twitter.com/QRs7P7Kygc #cdnpoli #elxn43

— Derrick O'Keefe 🌹🌱 (@derrickokeefe) October 2, 2019

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.