Close X
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
ADVT 
National

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

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 04 Nov, 2024 11:50 AM
  • Party leaders condemn violence at Hindu temple in Brampton amid India consular visit

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.

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."

MORE National ARTICLES

Reduction in permit wait times for multiplex housing in Vancouver

Reduction in permit wait times for multiplex housing in Vancouver
Vancouver is planning to reduce the time it takes to get a building permit for certain multiplex applications. The city says a streamlined permit application process starting early next year will take about half the time.

Reduction in permit wait times for multiplex housing in Vancouver

Woman stabbed outside Whalley home

Woman stabbed outside Whalley home
Surrey R-C-M-P say they're looking for three young female suspects after a woman was stabbed outside a home in Whalley. Police say the woman didn't know the suspects, who are all believed to be between the ages of 15 and 20.

Woman stabbed outside Whalley home

Sikh groups calls for Indian consulates to be shut down in Vancouver, Toronto

Sikh groups calls for Indian consulates to be shut down in Vancouver, Toronto
Representatives of a British Columbia Sikh temple whose president was shot dead last year, as well as the Sikh independence group he was involved in, say their communities won't feel safe until India's consulates in Vancouver and Toronto are shut down.

Sikh groups calls for Indian consulates to be shut down in Vancouver, Toronto

Child dead after falling from 19th floor window in Winnipeg, police say

Child dead after falling from 19th floor window in Winnipeg, police say
Police in Winnipeg say a child has died after falling from a window on the 19th floor of a building. It happened Monday in the city's downtown. The child was taken to hospital and pronounced dead.

Child dead after falling from 19th floor window in Winnipeg, police say

Jump in home sales in September

Jump in home sales in September
The Canadian Real Estate Association says home sales climbed 1.9 per cent on a month-over-month basis in September, reaching their highest level since July 2023. The national increase was led by Greater Vancouver and Victoria, as well as the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton-Burlington, Montreal and Quebec City. 

Jump in home sales in September

Harpreet Singh gets 10 years in tripple stabbing

Harpreet Singh gets 10 years in tripple stabbing
Harpreet Singh has been sentenced to 10 years in prison -- minus the six-years in credit for time already served in custody -- for manslaughter and two counts of aggravated assault following the knife attack at a Surrey townhouse.

Harpreet Singh gets 10 years in tripple stabbing