Strongly condemn attack on Hindu temple in Canada: PM Modi

A pro-Khalistan protest at the Hindu Sabha Temple near Toronto had escalated into violence; PM also calls alleged acts of surveillance targeting Indian diplomats in Canada as ‘cowardly’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (November 4, 2024) strongly condemned the violence at the Hindu Sabha Temple at Brampton near Toronto and said such actions will “never weaken India’s resolve”.

Commenting on the ongoing diplomatic downturn between the two sides, Mr. Modi also slammed the recent reports of surveillance targeting Indian diplomats in Canada and described such actions as “cowardly”. Mr. Modi’s comments came hours after the Ministry of External Affairs, against the backdrop of anti-India protests and violence around the temple premises, said that it remains “deeply concerned” about the safety and security of Indian nationals in Canada.

“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 Canadian government to ensure justice and uphold the rule of law,” said Mr. Modi in a message. The issue was also taken up by the Congress party with senior leader Pawan Khera urging the Government of India to “take it up very strongly with the Canadian authorities”.

The incident took place on Sunday when a pro-Khalistan crowd came to the Hindu Sabha Temple which was hosting a consular camp that Indian diplomats had organised for the Canadian and Indian life certificate beneficiaries. For the sake of the beneficiaries, the High Commission in Ottawa and Indian missions had planned similar consular camps in multiple locations in the country. The protesters in the pro-Khalistan crowd chanted slogans against the Indian government and Mr. Modi that soon spiralled into a confrontation, with the protesters resorting to violence and entering the temple premises.

“We condemn the acts of violence perpetrated by extremists and separatists at the Hindu Sabha Temple in Brampton, Ontario. We call on the Government of Canada to ensure that all places of worship are protected from such attacks. We also expect those indulging in violence will be prosecuted,” declared Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson of the Ministry, on Monday. Earlier the High Commission of India had stated that in view of the heightened tension between the two sides, local police had been informed “in advance to provide strong security measures for these events, which constitute routine consular work.” Despite the disruption, the Indian High Commission in Canada said the camp in Brampton was able to issue more than 1,000 life certificates to the Indian and Canadian applicants.

The incident drew condemnation from leading Canadian politicians including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who thanked the local police department for responding to the situation and said, “The acts of violence at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton today [Sunday] are unacceptable. Every Canadian has the right to practice their faith freely and safely.” Mr. Trudeau also promised an investigation into the case.

Indo-Canadian Member of Parliament Chandra Arya who has been critical of pro-Khalistan elements in Canada condemned the incident and said it “shows how deep and brazen Khalistani violent extremism has become in Canada”. “I begin to feel that there is a small grain of truth in the reports that in addition to Canadian political apparatus, Khalistanis have effectively infiltrated into our law enforcement agencies,” he said. Mr. Arya called upon Hindu-Canadians to “step up and assert their rights and hold politicians accountable”. His remark about infiltration of the law enforcement agencies hints at the allegations that the Canadian Police had not acted professionally while dealing with the pro-Khalistan protesters.

Sunday’s development has further added to the war of words between the two sides after Canada’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison on October 29 told members of Canadian Parliament that Union Home Minister Amit Shah was “involved” in a plot to kill Canadian citizens. The allegation against Mr. Shah drew an angry response from the Ministry which refuted Mr. Morrison’s information and termed them as “absurd and baseless”. On Saturday, the Ministry revealed that some of the Indian consular officials “were recently informed” that the Canadian authorities had placed them under “audio and video surveillance”. Mr. Jaiswal had described this as “harassment and intimidation” of Indian diplomats. “This action of the Canadian government aggravates the situation and is incompatible with established diplomatic norms and practices,” he said.

The mention of Mr. Shah’s name in the course of a parliamentary proceeding was the latest twist in the high-tension episode in India-Canada relations that began in September 2023 when Mr. Trudeau informed the House of Commons in Ottawa that Indian “agents” were involved in the June 2023 killing of pro-Khalistan preacher Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Published - November 04, 2024 10:09 pm IST