Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that India expected the Canadian government “to ensure justice and uphold the rule of law”, a day after a protest by pro-Khalistani groups near the Hindu Sabha Temple in the city of Brampton turned violent.
“I strongly condemn the deliberate attack on a Hindu temple in Canada,” Modi said in a post on the social media platform X. “Equally appalling are the cowardly attempts to intimidate our diplomats. Such acts of violence will never weaken India’s resolve.”
On Sunday, protests erupted during the Indian High Commission’s routine consular camp organised in partnership with the Hindu Sabha Temple. Videos of the incident circulating on social media show men and women attacking temple visitors with sticks.
The pro-Khalistani groups were met with counter-protests from a group holding Indian flags. Tensions soon escalated and the Khalistani groups were reportedly the first to attack the opposing persons.
Canada is home to several organisations that support the demand for Khalistan, an independent homeland for Sikhs that some seek to carve out of India.
On Monday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal called on the Canadian government to ensure that all places of worship were protected from such attacks.
The foreign ministry said: “We condemn the acts of violence perpetrated by extremists and separatists at the Hindu Sabha Temple in Brampton, Ontario yesterday…We also expect that those indulging in violence will be prosecuted.”
The Indian government remained “deeply concerned” about the safety of Indian nationals in Canada, he said. “The outreach of our consular officers to provide services to Indians and Canadian citizens alike will not be deterred by intimidation, harassment and violence,” the statement added.
The Congress described the violence outside the temple as “absolutely condemnable” and urged the Union government to take the matter up strongly with Canada.
“Nobody can be allowed to disrupt any devotee from going into a temple,” Pawan Khera, the chief of the Congress’ media and publicity department, said.
Khera also alleged that the police in Canada “were seen as trying to physically stop the devotees from counter-protesting, instead of taking any action against the pro-Khalistani elements”.
Diplomatic tensions between India and Canada rose after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told his country’s parliament in September last year that intelligence agencies were actively pursuing “credible allegations” tying agents of the Indian government to Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing.
Nijjar was a supporter of Khalistan, a separate homeland for Sikhs sought by some groups. He was the head of the Khalistan Tiger Force, which is designated a terrorist outfit in India.
New Delhi had rejected Canada’s allegations as “absurd and motivated” and said they were an attempt by Ottawa to divert attention from the fact that it was providing shelter to those threatening India’s sovereignty.
On October 29, Canadian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs David Morrison alleged that Union Home Minister Amit Shah was behind a series of plots to kill or intimidate Sikh separatists in Canada.
This was the first time that a Canadian official went on the record to allege the Indian home minister’s involvement in the alleged campaign to target Sikh separatists abroad.
The Indian foreign ministry described Morrison’s allegations as “absurd and baseless”.