India condemns 'deliberate' violence at Hindu temple near Toronto

Photo: Dita Alangkara Associated Press “Such acts of violence will never dent India's resolve. We expect the Canadian government to ensure justice and respect for the rule of law,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

Ben Simon – Agence France-Presse in Toronto

Published at 10:39 Updated at 20:12

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Canadian authorities arrested three people Monday after violence Sunday attributed to Sikh separatists near a Hindu temple in Canada, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi denouncing a “deliberate attack” in the midst of a diplomatic crisis between the two countries.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau deplored the “unacceptable” violence after a demonstration Sunday around the temple in Brampton, near Toronto.

Images posted on social media showed clashes between people carrying the yellow flag of Khalistan, the state that Sikh separatists call their own, and a group flying an Indian flag.

“Every Canadian has the right to practice their faith freely and safely. Thank you to Peel police for responding quickly to protect the community and investigate,” Trudeau said on the social media site X.

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Police said Monday they had arrested three people for allegedly assaulting a police officer with a weapon.

In a statement on X, Modi “strongly condemned” the attack. “The cowardly attempts to intimidate our diplomats are equally appalling,” he said.

Canada is home to the largest Sikh community outside India and has a large number of activists who advocate for an independent Sikh state called Khalistan.

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Campaign of intimidation

Arunesh Giri, president of the NGO Canadian Hindu Foundation, regretted on Monday the “fear” that would spread in the Hindu community. The group Sikhs for Justice, which campaigns in the United States and Canada for Khalistan, said its members were “peacefully protesting” near the temple.

The incident comes amid a serious diplomatic crisis between New Delhi and Ottawa since Canadian police accused India of the 2023 assassination in Vancouver of a Sikh separatist leader.

A Canadian minister went so far as to accuse Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, a close ally of Narendra Modi, of ordering a campaign of violence against Sikh separatists on Canadian soil.

And two weeks ago, Justin Trudeau and federal police said there were “clear indications” of India’s involvement in the murder, as well as in a broader campaign of intimidation and violence against Khalistani militants on Canadian soil.

A Canadian spy agency said New Delhi was using the cybertechnology to track separatists abroad.

India has called the accusations “absurd” and says Ottawa has been sheltering religious extremists for decades.

“Such acts of violence will never shake India’s resolve. We expect the Canadian government to ensure justice and respect for the rule of law,” Narendra Modi insisted.

Last month, New Delhi expelled the Canadian ambassador and several diplomats, and Ottawa immediately followed suit.