Over a thousand Canadian Hindus gathered outside the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton, Canada, on Monday evening (local time) to protest against repeated attacks on Hindu temples across the country. The rally followed an attack by suspected Khalistani extremists on the temple, which occurred just a day earlier.
The organizers of the solidarity rally pressed Canadian politicians and law enforcement agencies to not give further support to Khalistanis. The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) shared rally details on the social media platform X, drawing attention to multiple temple attacks across Canada during the Diwali weekend and calling for an end to “Hinduphobia” in the country.
“Over a thousand #CanadianHindus have gathered in Brampton to protest against the increasingly brazen attacks on Hindu Temples,” CoHNA posted. “During the sacred #Diwali weekend, Canadian Hindu temples, coast to coast, came under attack. We ask Canada to stop this #Hinduphobia now!” the message added.
On Sunday, an Indian consular camp at the Hindu Sabha Temple witnessed a “violent disruption” in Brampton, near Toronto. The Hindu Canadian Foundation, a non-profit organization supporting the Hindu community in Canada, shared a video showing the incident, reporting that Khalistani extremists had attacked women and children during the unrest.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the “deliberate attack” on X, describing the violent acts as “cowardly attempts to intimidate” Indian diplomats. “I strongly condemn the deliberate attack on a Hindu temple in Canada. Equally appalling are the cowardly attempts to intimidate our diplomats. Such acts of violence will never weaken India’s resolve. We expect the Canadian government to ensure justice and uphold the rule of law,” PM Modi said.
This statement came hours after India’s Ministry of External Affairs condemned the violent acts by extremists at the Brampton temple. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed concerns over the safety of Indian nationals in Canada, calling on Canadian authorities to protect all places of worship. “We remain deeply concerned about the safety and security of Indian nationals in Canada,” Jaiswal added. “The outreach of our Consular officers to provide services to Indians and Canadian citizens alike will not be deterred by intimidation, harassment, and violence.”
India has repeatedly expressed concern about extremist and anti-India activities in Canada, urging Canadian authorities to take decisive action against these groups. The Indian High Commission in Canada also condemned the “violent disruption” by anti-India elements outside the consular camp. The high commission also said that any further events will be organised “contingent on security arrangements” made by the local authorities.
A series of similar incidents in recent years has highlighted a distressing trend of religious intolerance in Canada.
(ANI)
