Toronto: Supporters of one India’s main opposition party, Bharatiya Janata Party, launched party unit in Canada.

Overseas Friends of Bharatiya Janata Party (OFBJP) has launched the unit with chapters in four major cities -Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Ottawa - to connect with the Indian diaspora. The Canada chapter of BJP was formally launched by OFBJP global convener Vijay Jolly at a one day forum organised in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada under its "global community overreach programme".

The unit will focus on improving cultural and heritage links between the people of Canada and India, Jolly said. OFBJP delegates from Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto attended the daylong meeting at Hilton Garden Inn at Mississauga, according to a media release.

Azad K. Kaushik (Toronto), Shivendra Dwivedi (Montreal), Aditya Tawatia (Vancouver) and Shiv Bhaskar (Ottawa) have been nominated as conveners of the four chapters. A book titled "Social Harmony" by Narendra Modi, Gujarat Chief Minister and convenor of BJP's central election campaign committee was presented to the newly appointed OFBJP Canada convenors.

People of Indian origin have played a significant role in development of Canada and for close Indo-Canadian friendship and understanding, Jolly said. With a population of around 1.2 million in a total Canadian population of 33 million, people of Indian origin have made immense contributions in medicine, IT, commerce, sports, politics, media, social and cultural spheres.