Party leaders condemn violence at Hindu temple in Brampton amid India consular visit

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This article was published 03/11/2024 (339 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA – India’s high commission in Canada is condemning violence that erupted Sunday as Indian consular officials visited a Hindu temple in the Toronto suburb of Brampton.

Videos circulating on social media appear to show demonstrators holding banners in support of a separate Sikh country called Khalistan clashing with others, including some holding India’s national flag.

The videos seem to show fist fights and people striking each other with poles in what appears to be the grounds surrounding the Hindu Sabha Mandir temple.

The group Sikhs for Justice said Khalistan supporters had been protesting the presence of Indian consulate officials undertaking an announced visit to provide administrative services such as helping seniors access pensions.

In a release, India’s high commission said plans for further visits to temples would be contingent on security arrangements from local authorities to protect the safety of officials, organizers and attendees.

“It is deeply disappointing to see such disruptions being allowed for routine consular work being organized by our Consulates,” the embassy said in a statement posted to social media.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh all wrote Sunday on the platform X that they condemn the violence that occurred at the temple.

“Every Canadian has the right to practice their faith freely and safely,” Trudeau wrote.

Poilievre “unequivocally” condemned “violence targeting worshippers” at the temple, adding he would “end the chaos.” Singh also “unequivocally” condemned the violence.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford wrote that the violence was “completely unacceptable and must be condemned.”

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said he was “disappointed to hear about acts of violence” outside the temple.

“Those found guilty should be punished to the greatest extent of the law,” he wrote on X.

A spokesman for Peel Regional Police, which oversees law enforcement in Brampton, said nobody had been arrested or charged in relation to the protests, but said police will probe “any acts of violence or threats.”

Sikhs for Justice alleged Hindu nationalists had provoked the fighting and has claimed Indian officials use visits to religious sites to find informants to target Sikh separatists. The Indian high commission in Ottawa did not immediately respond to the claims.

The group is asking that Indian consular officials be barred from undertaking work outside of their diplomatic premises, arguing external site visits “directly endanger the safety and security of pro-Khalistan citizens in Canada.”

But Liberal MP Chandra Arya accused “Canadian Khalistani extremists” of attacking Hindus, saying they are “getting a free pass in Canada.”

The clashes come as Hindus celebrate the Diwali holiday and amid mounting tensions between Canada and India.

Last month, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats over allegations they used their positions to collect information on Canadians in the pro-Khalistan independence movement and then passed the details on to criminal gangs who targeted the individuals directly.

India has long accused Canada of harbouring pro-Khalistan terrorists that New Delhi has asked Ottawa to extradite, though Canadian officials say those requests often lack adequate proof.

Tensions have not been confined to Ontario.

This past Friday, a judge with British Columbia’s Supreme Court granted an order to establish a buffer zone around one of the province’s largest Sikh temples in advance of expected confrontations between protesters and Indian consular officials this weekend.

The request came from leaders of a Sikh temple who said they expected “intense protests” at two Indian consular events, commonly known as “consular camps.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 3, 2024.