Toronto: A protest by pro-Khalistan radicals turned violent on Sunday afternoon as they barged into a Hindu temple in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and assaulted some congregants.
The incident occurred at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in the town of Brampton, Ontario, which witnessed pro-Khalistan protesters gathering outside the premises in the morning to oppose the presence of Indian officials who were there for a scheduled consular camp.
The demonstrators, some holding Khalistan flags, then turned violent. According to eyewitnesses who spoke to the Hindustan Times and videos of the fracas, they attacked some congregants inside the premises with flagpoles and traffic cones.
In a statement, India’s High Commission in Ottawa said the “violent disruption” had been “orchestrated by anti-India elements.” Describing the development as “deeply disturbing”, the release added, “We also remain very concerned for the safety of applicants, including Indian nationals, on whose demand such events are organised in the first place.”
Among those present at the temple was Mahavir, who said, “They attacked our people, they were violent.” He said word quickly spread through the community and they rushed to the temple and helped evict the trespassing Khalistanis. “We were fearful they wanted to destroy the Hanuman statue. We believe that was the target,” Mahavir said.
The temple features a 55-foot-high statue of Hanuman, which was installed last year.
Another congregant, who wanted to stay anonymous due to fears of personal safety, said those who joined them came armed and helped repel the intruders who had desecrated the temple. “We had to defend ourselves since the police could not control them,” he said. That resulted in injuries.
After a large crowd of the congregants gathered, outnumbering the pro-Khalistani elements, the latter dispersed later in the afternoon. The community gathered at the premises and shouting slogans including “Khalistan Murdabad”.
The attack drew condemnation from across the political spectrum, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, Cabinet Minister Anita Anand, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, as well as several MPs and other politicians. However, none of their messages named the perpetrators of the attacks, the pro-Khalistan elements. That was left to Indo-Canadian Liberal Party MP Chandra Arya, who said, “A red line has been crossed by Canadian Khalistani extremists today. The attack by Khalistanis on the 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.”
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said he will bring a motion before the City Council “which would look at prohibiting protests at places of worship”.
The attack came two days after a message from Trudeau on Diwali that his government would “ensure” the “safety and security” of Hindu-Canadians. His post on Sunday omitted mentioning the Khalistani attackers, as it described the “act of violence” at the temple as “unacceptable”.
Poilievre issued a similar message, saying the “violence targeting worshippers” was “completely unacceptable”.
Meanwhile, responding to queries from the Hindustan Times, Peel Regional Police (PRP) said, “There have been no arrests made however any acts of violence and threats will be investigated.”
PRP chief Nishan Duraiappah posted, “We respect the right to protest in a peaceful & safe manner but will not tolerate violence & criminal acts, those that do participate in this activity will be pursued, arrested & charged.”
Anger and outrage was evident within the community due to the violence targeting a Hindu place of worship. The Canadian Hindu Chamber of Commerce said, in a statement, “Videos of the incident are going viral, further fuelling community concerns about rising Hinduphobia.”
The Canadian chapter of Coalition of Hindus of North America (COHNA) said it “vehemently condemns this brazen attack by Khalistanis on Hindu-Canadian devotees”.
“This exposes how deep and unchecked Khalistani extremism runs in Canada,” it added.
The Ontario Sikhs and Gurdwara Council (OSGC) also condemned the violence at the temple. “The incident outside the temple is a distressing reminder of the need for understanding and mutual respect in our community,” it stressed, adding, “We call upon local authorities to thoroughly investigate this incident, reaffirming that violence has no place in our society.”
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said it “appalled by the attack carried out earlier today by extremists on Hindu worshippers”.
India’s High Commission in Ottawa said despite the attempted disruption over 1,000 life certificates were issued. However, it added, future such camps will be “contingent on security arrangements made for them by local authorities.” When “infeasible”, alternative arrangements would be made “which may, unfortunately, inconvenience local users of these services,” it added. It noted, “On account of the prevailing situation in Canada, the Canadian authorities had been requested well in advance to provide strong security measures for these events, which constitute routine consular work.”
The secessionist group Sikhs for Justice blamed the violence on the Indo-Canadians at the temple. It claimed that the pro-Khalistan group was “peacefully demonstrating” against the presence of officials from India’s Consulate in Toronto at the temple. SFJ’s general counsel Gurpatwant Pannun alleged that they were attacked due to the presence of Inderjit Singh Gosal, Canadian coordinator of the so-called Khalistan Referendum.
Meanwhile, similar protests were also witnessed outside the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey, British Columbia, which was also hosting a consular camp.
The temple’s management and devotees were incensed when the Surrey Police Service arrested three congregation members who were part of a counter-protest. Management members along with devotees then staged a protest outside the police headquarters demanding release of the three persons. They were released by police on conditions. Temple president Satish Kumar said they would not allow police to enter the mandir premises in the future.