VANCOUVER - The government of India has lodged a complaint with Canadian officials, saying controversial images displayed at a Sikh parade in British Columbia glorify terrorism and violence.

A festival and parade in Surrey earlier this month marking Vaisakhi, the Sikh new year, included a banner calling the assassins of former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi martyrs.

Their images were displayed in a tent near the April 12 parade, along with pictures of the founders of Babbar Khalsa and the International Sikh Youth Federation.

The groups, which advocate for a separate Sikh state in Punjab known as Khalistan, are named on Canada's list of terrorist organizations.

An Indian cabinet minister raised the issue with Helena Guergis, Canada's secretary of state for foreign affairs, during a recent meeting in New Delhi, India's consul general in Vancouver confirmed Thursday.

"Showing these pictures of dead terrorists amounts to glorification of terrorism and violence _ showing them as martyrs is unacceptable to us,'' Ashok Kumar said in an interview.

"We want Canada to address this issue, to take into account our concerns.''

Surrey's Vaisakhi parade drew similar criticism last year after a parade float featured a photo of Talwinder Singh Parmar, the alleged mastermind of the 1985 Air India bombings.

There were also children in the 2007 parade wearing jackets adorned with the logo of the International Sikh Youth Federation.

Premier Gordon Campbell and several local MPs were forced to explain their attendance at last year's parade after the controversy surfaced.

Most decided to either stay away from this year's parade or, like Surrey's mayor, attended but declined to take part in events on the official stage.

A spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier, Neil Hrab, said in an e-mail that Conservative MPs were told not to participate this year.

"After consultation with security agencies and provincial officials, we urged our caucus members not to attend functions with the organizers on the main stage,'' said Hrab.

"We therefore did not send government MPs or Conservative party candidates to partake in the ceremonies or to appear on floats.''

Hrab said the federal government has been "very clear'' in condeming Sikh extremism and terrorism, particularily following the Air India bombing.

Kumar applauded those who refused to participate, but stressed that Ottawa must take a strong, public stance against such displays, which he said infringe on India's sovereignty.

"It sends out a message to organizers that this event, which is a big event -- let it be cultural and religious without inclusion of any objectionable material,'' said Kumar.

"We are in touch with Canadian authorities on a regular basis, and we would like to see more progress on this issue .... so that this signage, these slogans, these banners are not displayed.''

Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh, who was once hospitalized from a beating by a youth federation member, said Ottawa has failed to take a firm position on both the parade controversy and the wider issue of Sikh separatism.

"If you have certain elements of our population that are always advocating the dismemberment of India, and then in fact glorifying martyrs, those that killed 329 (passengers in the Air Indian bombing) or the prime minister of India, it's mind-boggling that many Canadian politicians have slept through this issue,'' said Dosanjh.

"I think the message has to be sent that violence is not acceptable. .... And further then that, they (the federal government) has to decide whether they support a one-India policy or a many-Indias policy.''

Dosanjh said recurring examples of Sikh extremism in Canada are troubling.

The day before the parade, a group of students at a high school in Surrey wore pro-Khalistan T-shirts and were told by administrators not to wear them again following complaints from other students and staff.

"What kind of people are we nurturing in our midst who can be messengers of hate?'' he said.

"There is a huge resurgence on the issue of (Sikh) separatism in Canada. ... And, in fact, the Canadian authorities, political leaders, have turned a blind eye to this issue and have not done the kind of work that needs to be done.''