BRAMPTON, Ont. — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is condemning violence that erupted Sunday when Indian consular officers visited a Hindu temple in Brampton, Ont., as police introduced three individuals have been charged within the conflict.
BRAMPTON, Ont. — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is condemning violence that erupted Sunday when Indian consular officers visited a Hindu temple in Brampton, Ont., as police introduced three individuals have been charged within the conflict.
Visits by Indian officers to the temple in Brampton and one other in Surrey, B.C., had been met with protests from demonstrators searching for a separate Sikh nation referred to as Khalistan.
Social media movies confirmed fist fights and folks placing one another with poles on what seemed to be the grounds surrounding the Hindu Sabha temple in Brampton, whereas three individuals had been additionally arrested on the Sri Lakshmi Narayana Hindu Temple in Surrey.
The Surrey temple launched a press release blaming police for what it referred to as “unjustified violence towards temple devotees.”
On Monday, Modi mentioned he expects the Canadian authorities to “guarantee justice.”
“I strongly condemn the deliberate assault on a Hindu temple in Canada. Equally appalling are the cowardly makes an attempt to intimidate our diplomats,” Modi wrote on the social media platform X.
“Such acts of violence won’t ever weaken India’s resolve.”
One other demonstration close to the Brampton temple on Monday evening was ordered to disperse after Peel Regional Police mentioned on social media that weapons had been seen throughout the crowd.
Police declared the protest an illegal meeting, and warned anybody who stays might face arrest.
Peel Regional Police mentioned earlier Monday that three individuals have been arrested and charged within the weekend protests.
A 43-year-old man from Mississauga, Ont., was charged with inflicting disturbance and assaulting a police officer, and a 23-year-old man from Brampton was charged with assault with a weapon. A 31-year-old man from Mississauga was charged with mischief over $5,000.
Police mentioned the group of protesters moved to 2 separate places in Mississauga, and an officer sustained minor accidents through the arrest of an individual throughout these demonstrations. They mentioned no different accidents had been reported.
Peel Regional Police additionally confirmed that one in every of their officers has been suspended after video circulating on social media allegedly confirmed the officer’s involvement within the Brampton demonstration.
“We’re investigating the circumstances in totality depicted within the video, and are unable to offer additional data till such time that the investigation is full,” police mentioned in a press release.
The group Sikhs for Justice mentioned that Khalistan supporters had been protesting Indian consulate officers who made an introduced a go to to the temple to offer administrative companies comparable to serving to seniors entry their pensions.
The group alleged that India makes use of these visits to search out informants to report on Khalistan supporters. It referred to as on Ottawa to ban India’s diplomatic missions from conducting exterior outreach occasions, citing public security.
On Monday, India’s exterior affairs ministry condemned “the acts of violence perpetrated by extremists and separatists” on the temple, and mentioned it could proceed its consular outreach in Canada.
“The outreach of our consular officers to offer service to Indians and Canadian residents alike is not going to be deterred by intimidation, harassment and violence,” learn a press release from ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal, who referred to as on Canada to prosecute “these indulging in violence” and shield all locations of worship.
Three individuals had been additionally arrested on Sunday at a protest in Surrey, B.C., the place movies posted on social media confirmed individuals being carried away by police exterior the Sri Lakshmi Narayana Hindu Temple.
Surrey RCMP mentioned in a information launch Monday that officers had been deployed to the temple to “keep public security throughout consular camps when a whole lot of protesters with opposing views arrived and started demonstrating.”
They mentioned violence broke out however nobody was injured and the gang dispersed shortly after the arrests. Police mentioned the suspects have been launched from custody whereas officers proceed to research.
The RCMP mentioned in its information launch that the officer in control of the detachment can be assembly with native temple leaders to “deal with their issues and ease tensions.”
That comes after the temple issued a press release to social media Sunday evening, condemning the violence exterior the temple and calling for “the suspension, investigation, and prosecution of the law enforcement officials concerned in unjustified violence towards temple devotees.”
“These actions should be addressed to make sure justice and forestall additional tensions,” the assertion mentioned.
India has lengthy accused Canada of harbouring pro-Khalistan terrorists that New Delhi has requested Ottawa to extradite, although Canadian officers say these requests usually lack ample proof.
Final yr, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau prompted a diplomatic rift when he introduced that Canadian officers suspected Indian authorities brokers had a task within the assassination of a Sikh temple chief in Surrey in June 2023.
These tensions boiled over final month when Canada expelled six Indian diplomats for allegations that they used their positions to gather data on Canadians within the pro-Khalistan independence motion, after which handed the small print on to felony gangs who focused the people instantly.
India has mentioned that Canada offered no proof to again up these allegations.
Sunday’s violence in Brampton drew condemnation from India’s excessive fee, Trudeau and the leaders of different main federal events.
Following the conflict, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown mentioned on social media that “each side must de-escalate.”
He mentioned he plans to carry a movement to metropolis council to have a look at prohibiting protests at locations of worship.
“The professional-India and pro-Khalistan sides who assume it’s acceptable to protest at a spot of worship are utterly unsuitable,” he wrote. “This should cease.”
Graham McGregor, Ontario’s performing minister of citizenship and multiculturalism, mentioned experiences of what occurred on the temple had been “disturbing.”
“No one likes to see that sort of violence or these sort of intimidations taking place exterior of place of worship,” McGregor mentioned.
— With recordsdata from Brieanna Charlebois in Vancouver, Dylan Robertson in Ottawa and Allison Jones in Toronto.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Nov. 4, 2024.
Rianna Lim, The Canadian Press
