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 told reporters Monday at a press briefing.
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”.
Earlier the Indian High Commission said the “violent disruption” to the consular camp came despite an advance request for strong security measures. The consulate also said it feared for the safety of applicants at the camp, including Indian nationals.
The violence at Brampton’s Hindu Sabha temple – blamed by Indo-Canadian MP Chandra Arya on Khalistani extremists – saw as yet unidentified men breaching the gates of the complex and assaulting people inside. Mr Arya said a “red line” had been crossed and that the attack on devotees “shows how deep and brazen Khalistani violent extremism has become in Canada”.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – whose relationship with India is in the doldrums following repeated, and unsubstantiated, allegations about “agents” of Delhi being involved with organised criminal elements in his country and the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Nijjar – has also condemned the violence at Brampton, calling it “unacceptable”.
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 expulsion of diplomats. On Saturday, Ottawa named Delhi as a cyberthreat adversary, suggesting state-sponsored actors could be spying against it.
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. It has also accused India of directing a broad campaign targeting Sikh activists on Canadian soil, which Ottawa says has included intimidation, threats and violence.
Last year, a Hindu temple in Windsor suffered defacement with anti-India graffiti, sparking widespread condemnation and calls for action from both Canadian and Indian officials. Earlier incidents in Mississauga and Brampton saw temples similarly targeted, drawing strong reactions from the Indian community in Canada.
