New Delhi reacted strongly on Monday to the attack on the Hindu Sabha Temple in Brampton, Ontario, by Khalistani activists on November 3.
“I strongly condemn the deliberate attack on a Hindu temple in Canada. Equally appalling are the cowardly attempts to intimidate our diplomats. Such acts of violence will never weaken India’s resolve. We expect the Canadian government to ensure justice and uphold the rule of law,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X Monday evening.
“We condemn the acts of violence perpetrated by extremists and separatists at the Hindu Sabha Temple in Brampton, Ontario yesterday,” said a statement released by Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), earlier in the day.
“We call on the Government of Canada to ensure that all places of worship are protected from such attacks. We also expect that those indulging in violence will be prosecuted. We remain deeply concerned about the safety and security of Indian nationals in Canada.
“The outreach of our Consular officers to provide services to Indians and Canadian citizens alike will not be deterred by intimidation, harassment and violence,” he added.
The High Commission of India in Ottawa issued a similar statement condemning the attack and referred to the incident as a violent act by “anti-India elements.”
The assault on the temple, which took place during Diwali—a major Hindu festival—highlights escalating tensions between India and Canada over what India has described as Prime Minister Trudeau’s leniency toward pro-Khalistani groups operating on Canadian soil, despite repeated Indian warnings.
The incident involved demonstrators wielding Khalistani flags and sticks who clashed violently with worshippers and Indian consular officials assisting the Indo-Canadian community with services during Diwali celebrations.
Videos of the assault have gone viral, showing physical altercations on temple grounds and raising concerns within the Indo-Canadian community about their security.
Reports from the Hindu Canadian Foundation allege that police were slow to intervene, despite requests for assistance from temple authorities. Community advocates argue that if the Canadian government is serious about tackling extremism, it must begin by openly naming and addressing threats posed by pro-Khalistani groups. Some reports even claimed the local police took a partisan stand, arresting Hindus who were the victims instead of the Khalistani perpetrators. Others said off duty policemen were part of the Khalistani gang that launched the attack.
This incident comes amid heightened diplomatic tensions between India and Canada, a row that began in September last year when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly accused Indian government officials of being involved in the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Khalistani activist living in British Columbia.
Trudeau’s accusations, which he repeated again in October this year naming the Indian high commissioner and others from his team, led to India withdrawing six of its staff including the high commissioner, and expelling several Canadian diplomats from New Delhi.
India has consistently denied any involvement in Nijjar’s killing, calling the accusations baseless and a product of Canada’s alleged tolerance of Khalistani separatist activities.
India has also repeatedly voiced concerns over what it sees as Canada’s inadequate measures to curtail Khalistani influence, which New Delhi argues undermines peace and security within the Indian diaspora in Canada.
Following the temple attack, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau issued a statement condemning the violence, stating that all Canadians have the right to practice their religion freely. However, his statement did not mention Khalistani involvement, an omission that has been criticized by several community members and analysts who see it as an attempt to sidestep the political implications of addressing Khalistani extremism directly.
Leader of the Opposition Pierre Poilievre also condemned the violence, calling it “completely unacceptable,” but he, too, refrained from naming Khalistani extremists.
Poilievre’s response has been further scrutinized after he abruptly withdrew from a long-standing Diwali celebration on October 30 without providing a clear reason, leaving Indo-Canadian community members feeling marginalized.
Daniel Bordman, a Canadian journalist, called the move “absolutely disgraceful,” speculating that Poilievre’s decision may have been driven by fears of accusations of foreign interference.
The Overseas Friends of India Canada (OFIC), a prominent Indo-Canadian organization, expressed disappointment in an open letter, describing Poilievre’s withdrawal as a “betrayal” and urging him to stand in solidarity with Hindu Canadians.
The OFIC’s letter also criticized the Canadian political establishment’s perceived reluctance to acknowledge Khalistani extremism, arguing that this selective silence signals a lack of commitment to Indo-Canadian security.
The OFIC emphasized that the Indo-Canadian community, which is well-established and an integral part of Canadian society, expects their leaders to address the issue of extremism without hesitation.
Some Canadian officials have voiced stronger opposition, with Indian-origin MP Chandra Arya stating that the attack on the temple signifies the growing brazenness of Khalistani extremism in Canada. Arya warned that the security of Hindu-Canadians is increasingly at risk and urged Canadian leaders to take a firmer stance against extremist groups that exploit Canada’s principles of free expression to intimidate communities.
Hindu-Canadian leaders have cautioned that while pro-Khalistani voices are a minority within Canada’s Sikh population, their activities risk deepening divisions. With mounting concerns over safety, organizations like the OFIC are urging political leaders to reaffirm their commitment to unity and multiculturalism.
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