The Canadian House of Commons rejected a motion to declare the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as genocide. The motion was introduced by New Democratic Party (NDP) MP Sukh Dhaliwal, but it faced significant opposition, particularly from MP Chandra Arya, who claimed that the initiative was influenced by a "politically powerful Khalistani lobby" and expressed concerns about its divisive potential within Canadian society.

Arya stated that he was the only MP present to oppose the motion, which required unanimous consent to pass. His objection was sufficient to block the motion's approval. He later reported being threatened for his stance, noting that there have been multiple attempts to silence his views on issues affecting Hindu-Canadians. Arya characterized the violence of 1984 as "undeniably barbaric" but argued that labeling it as genocide is misleading and could exacerbate tensions between Hindu and Sikh communities in Canada.

The NDP and its leader, Jagmeet Singh, have been vocal advocates for recognizing the 1984 riots as genocide. Singh criticized the Liberal and Conservative parties for collaborating to block the motion, asserting that they have neglected justice for the Sikh community in Canada.