Third attack since July: Hindu Temple Defaced in Canada with Anti-India Graffiti

Following assaults in Australia, Khalistani supporters reportedly vandalised a Hindu temple in Brampton, Canada, on Monday by spray-painting anti-India graffiti on its walls. The Indian community in Canada is very outraged at the assault on the Gauri Shankar Mandir. While denouncing this act of vandalism, the Indian Consulate General in Canada said that the temple's damage "had profoundly wounded the sensibilities of the Indian community" in Canada.

"The Canadian Indian community's feelings have been severely wounded by the vile act of destruction. We have expressed our worries about the situation to Canadian authorities "said in a statement released by the embassy on Tuesday.

The temple's walls were covered with graffiti that seemed to be loaded with animosity for India. According to Canadian police, an investigation into the occurrence is ongoing. This most recent incident of damage at a Hindu temple in Brampton is not unique. Since last July, Canada has seen at least three such vandalism incidents.

The "sharp surge" in hate crimes against Indians and other "anti-India activities" in Canada alarmed the Indian External Affairs Ministry in September of last year. The Indian government has requested that similar instances be thoroughly investigated by Canadian authorities.

According to statistics compiled by Statistics Canada, hate crimes committed against members of ethnic, sexual, or religious minorities increased by 72% between 2019 and 2021.

Brampton's mayor, Patrick Brown, denounced the temple's vandalism since it is a representation of Indian history. "In our city or nation, this vile act of vandalism has no place. Each person has a right to feel secure in their place of worship, "Tweets from Brown.

The event is comparable to three Hindu temples in Australia that were vandalised with anti-Indian graffiti by Khalistani militants only in January. On Sunday, several individuals from pro-Khalistani organisations attacked Indians who were holding the Indian flag. Later, anti-Indian graffiti was also written on the walls of a Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Melbourne.

Manpreet Vohra, the Indian High Commissioner to Australia, visited the Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple on Tuesday and denounced "pro-Khalistani groups" for their "vandalism" of the temple. He said that "all communities and religions have traditionally cherished the site of worship."

Tweeted Manpreet Vohra, "visited Melbourne's famed Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple, a treasured centre of adoration for many cultures and religions. That makes the pro-Khalistani extremists' vandalism of it with hateful graffiti all the more abhorrent. pre p p p p p o pol. pol pol pol"