New Delhi:
India on Monday said it “condemns acts of violence perpetrated by extremists and separatists”, referring to an incident at a Hindu temple in Brampton, in the Canadian province of Ontario, last week, and called on Canada to ensure that all places of worship are adequately protected.
“We also expect that those indulging in such violence will be prosecuted,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement issued Monday.
The Indian government, Mr Jaiswal, said, remains “deeply concerned” about the safety and security of its citizens in that country, and said efforts to provide consular services to Indian and Canadian citizens – a camp was being held inside the temple – “will not be deterred”.
India’s response comes after both the incident at the temple and a clash between those protesting the attack and the police cops. A video showed a cop charging at a protester and hitting him several times.
BREAKING: The RCMP start attacking Hindu worshippers on their own temple grounds in Surrey BC.
Watch as an RCMP officer goes into the crowd to go after Hindu devotees after pushing them back to protect the Khalistanis who came to harass the temple goers on Diwali. Punching Hindus… pic.twitter.com/uugAJun59q— Daniel Bordman (@DanielBordmanOG) November 4, 2024
The journalist who shared the video – Daniel Bordman, a senior reporter with The National Telegraph – claimed cops went after the protesters to protect “Khalistanis who came to harass temple-goers…”
Earlier, the Indian High Commission said the “violent disruption” to the consular camp came despite an advance request for strong security measures, and that it feared for Indian citizens’ safety.
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The violence at Brampton’s Hindu Sabha temple – blamed by Indo-Canadian MP Chandra Arya on Khalistani extremists – saw men breach the gates and assault people inside. Mr Arya said a “red line” had been crossed and that the attack “shows how brazen Khalistani extremism has become…”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – whose relationship with India is in the doldrums following repeated, and unsubstantiated, allegations about “agents” of Delhi being involved in the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Nijjar, branded a terrorist by India – called the violence “unacceptable”.
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Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, meanwhile, called for punishment to the “greatest extent of law” for those who participated in the violence. “Religious freedom is a foundational value in Canada. Everyone should feel safe in their place of worship,” he wrote on X.
A spokesperson for local police has said no arrests have been made, as yet.
The violence comes amid ongoing diplomatic back-and-forth between India and Canada, including two rounds of expulsion of diplomats. On Saturday, Ottawa named Delhi as a cyberthreat adversary, suggesting state-sponsored actors could be spying against it. India firmly dismissed the claim.
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On that topic Mr Jaiswal said today, “This appears to be another example of a Canadian strategy to attack India. As I mentioned earlier, their senior officials have confessed they are seeking to manipulate global opinion against India. As on other occasions, imputations are made without evidence.”
All of this comes after Canada accused India of orchestrating the 2023 killing, in Vancouver, of 45-year-old naturalised Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Khalistan activist.
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Last year, a Hindu temple in Windsor, also in Ontario, was defaced, sparking widespread calls for action from both Canadian and Indian officials. Similar earlier incidents in Brampton saw temples targeted as well, drawing strong reactions from the Indian community in Canada.
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