A float depicting controversial Sikh figures as martyrs made a return appearance at Surrey's Vaisakhi parade on Saturday.

The parade, which marks the birth of the Sikh faith in the 1600s, draws up to 100,000 spectators in Surrey each year from all backgrounds and religious beliefs.

This year's celebration has already drawn controversy, having been boycotted by Premier Gordon Campbell for remarks made by one of the organizers on a local Punjabi-language radio station – and the return appearance of a divisive float isn't likely to help.

The float, which was absent from last year's parade, features pictures of controversial Sikh figures and refers to them as "martyrs."

A slogan on the float reads, "They gave their today for our tomorrow."

The float was last used in 2008, prompting mayor and long-time parade supporter Dianne Watts to walk out.

The parade began at 9 a.m. at the Sahib Dasmesh Darbar temple on 85th Avenue, proceeding to Strawberry Hill for a recess before turning back and ending where it began.

Radio comment controversy

Organizers have also yet to apologize for controversial comments made Thursday by organizer Inderjit Sinngh Bains, who said two moderate Sikh politicians were unwelcome at the event.

"Everybody's invited except those who've been excluded," he said.

Though local politicians regularly make speeches at the parade, Bains said Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh and Liberal MLA Dave Hayer were "not invited on the stage."

"We've never invited them. If they come they should bring their own security."

Both Dosanjh and Hayer have been outspoken critics of the violence that divided B.C.'s Sikh community in the 1980s, when Sikh separatists are blamed for the bombings of two government-owned Air India planes, killing 331 people.

Hayer, whose father, newspaper publisher and moderate Sikh Tara Sing Hayer was murdered in 1998, says the comments were meant to intimidate.

"I got the transcript of what was said and I was shocked," he said.

"They implied a threat to myself. These are some of the core words they used to use when my father was alive, trying to say his safety will not be guaranteed."

Dosanj, who was badly beaten 25 years ago by a suspected Sikh terrorist, agrees.

Parade organizer Moninder Singh says there was no threat – just no promise of extra security if fundamentalist parade-goers object to the politicians' moderate views.

"The comments were blown out of proportion," he said. "They're more then welcome to attend, we're just not going to provide any special circumstances for them."

Hayer and Dosanjh say they weren't planning on going anyway, but that they don't want the controversy to rain on the parade.

"The parade belongs to the 100,000 people who actually go there," Dosanjh said.

With files from The Canadian Press