In a historic moment that resonated with Kannadigas worldwide, Canadian Member of Parliament Chandra Arya officially entered the race to become Canada's next Prime Minister, speaking in his native language, Kannada, after filing his nomination.
Arya, who represents Nepean in Ottawa, made the announcement with immense pride in his heritage. "It is a proud moment for about 5 crore Kannadigas that a person from Shira taluk of Tumkur district in Karnataka has been elected as a Member of Parliament in Canada and is now speaking in Kannada in this esteemed institution," Arya said, addressing the Parliament of Canada.
Watch him speak in Kannada here:
Concluding his speech, Arya honored the legacy of Kannada poet laureate Rashtrakavi Kuvempu, quoting a line from a famous song sung by legendary actor Dr. Rajkumar. "Elladaru iru enthadaru iru endendigu nee Kannadavaagiru, Kannadave Sathya Kannadave Nithya," Arya said, emphasizing the importance of identity and pride in being a Kannadiga, no matter where you are in the world.
{{/usCountry}}Concluding his speech, Arya honored the legacy of Kannada poet laureate Rashtrakavi Kuvempu, quoting a line from a famous song sung by legendary actor Dr. Rajkumar. "Elladaru iru enthadaru iru endendigu nee Kannadavaagiru, Kannadave Sathya Kannadave Nithya," Arya said, emphasizing the importance of identity and pride in being a Kannadiga, no matter where you are in the world.
{{/usCountry}}Arya's candidacy announcement, made ahead of the Liberal Party’s meeting, was a proud moment for the Kannadiga community, showcasing his commitment to his roots while taking on this significant political challenge in Canada
“I am running to be the next Prime Minister of Canada to lead a small, more efficient government to rebuild our nation and secure prosperity for future generations,” he said in the post on X and added a long statement with it.
Stating that Canada is “facing significant structural problems” that haven’t been seen for generations, Arya said, adding that solving them will require tough choices. “For the sake of our children and grandchildren, we must make bold decisions that are absolutely necessary.”
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) highlighted that Arya wants to lead a small, more efficient government “with a cabinet selected on merit and not on (diversity, equity and inclusion) quotas.”
(With PTI inputs)
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