Indians in Canada’s Brampton are incensed by anti-India graffiti that has been left on a renowned Hindu temple.
The Indian Consulate General in Toronto condemned the vandalism at Gauri Shankar Mandir and stated that it has greatly wounded the feelings of the Indian community in Canada.
“The Canadian Indian community’s feelings have been severely affected by the vile act of vandalism. We have expressed our worries about the situation to Canadian authorities “said in a statement released by the consulate on Tuesday.
The temple, a representation of Indian history, has been vandalised with hateful remarks towards India.
The issue is being looked into by the Canadian authorities.
The mayor of Brampton, Patrick Brown, stated that he has spoken with Peel Regional Police about his concerns regarding the hate crime and that vandalism has no place in the nation.
“The desecration of the Gauri Shankar Mandir is condemned by the @CityBrampton. This vile act of vandalism has no business taking place in our city or nation. I have spoken with @ChiefNish and @PeelPolice about my concerns over this hate crime. Everybody should feel secure in their place of worship “In a tweet, he stated.
The anti-India graffiti may have been created by the outlawed terrorist organisation Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) and other Khalistani organisations. The report further stated that the SFJ later posted a video of the destruction of Gauri Shankar Mandir on social media.
A Canadian lawmaker named Chandan Acharya asked authorities to act in the case and denounced the vandalism of the Gauri Shankar Mandir.
“The attack on the Gauri Shankar Mandir in Brampton is the most recent in a string of attacks by anti-Hindu and anti-Indian groups against Hindu temples in Canada. What comes after physical attacks on Hindu temples and hatred on social media? I urge the Canadian government to start treating this seriously “According to Acharya’s tweet.
The Gauri Shankar Mandir’s vandalism was denounced by the Indian Consulate General in Canada as well.
“The Canadian Indian community’s feelings have been severely affected by the vile act of vandalism. We have expressed our worries about the situation to Canadian authorities “The General Consulate issued a statement.
At least three comparable incidents of vandalism have been reported in Canada since last July, proving that the destruction of the Hindu temple in Brampton is not an unique incident.
In a stern statement from last September, the Indian Foreign Ministry said that hate crimes against Indians and other “anti-India actions” had increased dramatically in Canada. The Indian capital of New Delhi had requested Ottawa to conduct a thorough investigation.
The national statistical office of Canada, Statistics Canada, has noted a 72 percent rise in hate crimes in Canada between 2019 and 2021 that target a person’s race, religion, or sexual orientation.
Minority communities have become more fearful as a result, especially the Indian community, which makes up over 4% of the population of Canada and is the fastest-growing demographic.
Officials from India have brought up the problem of attacks on the Indian community by pro-Khalistani forces in Canada on numerous occasions.
Three temples in Australia were vandalised with anti-Indian graffiti earlier this month, purportedly by pro-Khalistani organisations.
