Some critics say Canadian leaders may be taking cues from political rhetoric south of the border. A social media post by Canadian political figure Daniel Tyrie questioning the presence of Indian-origin officials in government has triggered intense backlash online, reigniting the debate over immigration, identity and representation in public institutions.Canada is home to a rapidly growing population of Indian origin. The community’s population is estimated to be between 1.8 million and 2.9 million, making it one of the largest Indian diasporas and approximately 5.1% of Canada’s total population. Census data also shows that the community has grown by 17.5% compared to the previous census, reflecting its increased presence in business, politics and public service.The controversy began when Tyree posted on Twitter asking: “How come Global Affairs Canada is run entirely by Indians?” In the post, he shared photos of several South Asian officials working within the Canadian government, offering them as evidence of what he called over-representation.His post contained pictures of officials including Arun Thangaraj, Maninder Sidhu, Randeep Sarai and Anita Anand.Arun Thangaraj, Canada’s Deputy Minister of Transport, was born in Canada.Parliamentary Secretary Maninder Sidhu was born in India but moved to Canada in his childhood. His parents came as international students in the early 1980s before settling in Surrey, British Columbia, where they later built a family business.Randeep Sarai, Liberal MP for Surrey Centre, was born on April 15, 1975 in Vancouver and grew up in Burnaby. His Sikh parents had immigrated from Punjab before his birth.Anita Anand, former Minister of National Defense and current Member of Parliament from Oakville, was born in 1967 in Kentville, Nova Scotia. His father, SV Anand, was a surgeon from Tamil Nadu and his mother, Saroj D. Ram, was an anesthesiologist from Punjab. Both immigrated to Canada in the early 1960s.When users onHe wrote: “To be Canadian is to be part of an inter-generational lineage that extends back to the pioneers who settled and built this great nation.”He further said, “Anyone born in Canada to two Indians is still an Indian. It’s not rocket science.”Tyrie also argued that ethnic diversity is being misrepresented. “There’s nothing ‘diverse’ about four Indians. Unless you’re using the modern definition of diversity, non-white.”His comments immediately drew backlash online, with users accusing him of misrepresenting officials’ backgrounds and ignoring the broader structure of government.One user responded: “Not so. They’re all Canadian. Plus they were all born in Canada. And you forgot to show the white guy, Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs.”Another user questioned the focus solely on ethnicity, writing: “Whatever his background..the main question is..is he doing a good job or not, if not then throw him out. External Affairs Minister is doing a good job so far.”