Hindu Temple
Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, strongly condemned the violence that occurred at a Hindu temple near Toronto on Sunday, calling it “unacceptable.” The skirmishes, which took place outside the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton, are being blamed by some political leaders on Sikh activists. Brampton is located roughly 50 kilometers northwest of Toronto.
In response to the incident, local police in Brampton deployed a heavy presence outside the temple to maintain order during a protest. Despite the tensions, Peel Regional Police reported that no arrests were made, and authorities have not officially assigned blame for the violence.
Trudeau expressed his concerns on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “The acts of violence at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton today are unacceptable. Every Canadian has the right to practice their faith freely and safely.”
Chandra Arya, a federal lawmaker and member of Trudeau’s Liberal Party, attributed the incident to “Khalistanis,” referring to supporters of the Khalistan movement, a separatist group seeking an independent Sikh homeland in India’s Punjab state.
Arya, who is of Hindu descent, expressed alarm over the increasing boldness of Khalistani extremism in Canada. He took to X to post, “A red line has been crossed by Canadian Khalistani extremists today.”
Arya specifically condemned the violence at the Hindu Sabha temple, stating, “The attack by Khalistanis on Hindu-Canadian devotees inside the premises of the Hindu Sabha temple in Brampton shows how deep and brazen Khalistani violent extremism has become in Canada.”
Videos circulating on social media show individuals carrying yellow Khalistan flags clashing with people holding Indian flags. Isolated fistfights were also reported in the videos, which depict heated altercations between the two groups.
The incident adds further strain to already tense relations between Canada and India. Relations have deteriorated sharply since Ottawa accused the Indian government of orchestrating the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Khalistan activist and naturalized Canadian citizen, in Vancouver in 2023.
Canada has also accused India of running a broader campaign targeting Sikh activists on Canadian soil, which allegedly includes intimidation, threats, and violence. India has firmly rejected these allegations.
In the wake of the escalating tensions, both Canada and India recently expelled each other’s ambassadors and senior diplomats. Delhi has expressed its concerns about the safety of Indian nationals living in Canada.
On Monday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs condemned the violence at the Hindu temple in Brampton, calling on the Canadian government to protect places of worship from such attacks.
The ministry’s statement read, “We call on the Government of Canada to ensure that all places of worship are protected from such attacks. We also expect that those indulging in violence will be prosecuted. We remain deeply concerned about the safety and security of Indian nationals in Canada.”
Despite the diplomatic fallout and the violence, India assured that its consular services for Indian and Canadian citizens alike would not be deterred by intimidation, harassment, or violence.
This incident highlights the increasing tensions between different ethnic and political groups in Canada, especially against the backdrop of the larger diplomatic rift between Ottawa and Delhi.
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