With the federal election just weeks away, the Conservative Party is facing mounting scrutiny after dropping a fourth candidate in just 48 hours—this time over disturbing online activity.
Late Wednesday, the party confirmed Don Patel, the now-former candidate for Etobicoke North, has been removed from the race after a screenshot surfaced showing him reacting to a Facebook comment advocating for the deportation of Canadian residents to India. The comment suggested Prime Minister Modi could then deal with the individuals described as “non-sense people.”
“Endorsing such a statement is clearly unacceptable,” a Conservative campaign spokesperson said. “The individual is no longer a candidate. The Conservative Party will always stand up for the safety and security of Canadians.”
Despite the controversy, Patel had earlier posted a cheerful message on X, calling it “another great day at the doors!”
Patel’s dismissal follows a string of abrupt exits from the Conservative roster:
- Mark McKenzie, Windsor city councillor and candidate for Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore, was dropped after audio resurfaced from a 2022 podcast where he joked about executing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
- Stefan Marquis, candidate in Laurier—Sainte-Marie, says he was cut over past Twitter posts. He shared that he was dropped via a one-minute phone call, posting an illustration of a button being pressed on a person’s head with the caption: “The call lasted less than a minute.”
- Lourence Singh, dropped from New Westminster-Burnaby-Maillardville, confirmed he was given a reason for removal but declined to elaborate, stating he’s currently appealing the decision. “I am obtaining support from community members,” Singh said.
With the deadline to file as a candidate looming on April 7, these last-minute shakeups have sparked concern over candidate vetting within the party and whether more removals are yet to come.