Hindu Temple Comes Under Attack Again In Canada, Swaminarayan Mandir Defaced With Anti-India Graffiti

The BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Edmonton, capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta, has come under attack again.

Expressing concern over the troubling recurrence of targeted attacks on Hindu places of worship across Canada, Member of Parliament for Nepean, Chandra Arya, said "The Hindu temple BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Edmonton is vandalised again. During the last few years, Hindu temples in the Greater Toronto Area, British Columbia, and other places in Canada have been vandalised with hateful graffiti,"

The recent attack contributes to a series of similar incidents recorded in recent years, highlighting a troubling trend of religious intolerance. Last year, a Hindu temple in Windsor was defaced with anti-India graffiti, leading to widespread condemnation and calls for action from both Canadian and Indian officials. Earlier incidents in Mississauga and Brampton also saw temples targeted, eliciting strong reactions from the Indian community in Canada.

Arya, a Liberal member of Parliament known for his advocacy on multicultural issues, spoke about the impunity enjoyed by Khalistani extremists in Canada, citing instances where their rhetoric has openly incited hatred and violence.

"As I have always been saying, Khalistani extremists seem to get away with ease with their public rhetoric of hate and violence. Again, let me put it on record. Hindu Canadians are legitimately concerned. Like a broken record, I again call on Canadian law enforcement agencies to take this issue seriously before these rhetorics get translated into physical action against Hindu Canadians," Arya added.

"Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of Sikhs for Justice last year publicly called for Hindus to go back to India. Khalistan supporters publicly celebrated in Brampton and Vancouver the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and brandishing images of deadly weapons," Arya further claimed.

However, Canadian political leader raised the issue calling it a display of "hateful rhetoric".

"Earlier today, the Edmonton BAPS Mandir was vandalised with paint, displaying hateful rhetoric on the walls of what should be a place of refuge. Hate has no part in Canada - much less in places of worship & prayer. This incident is wrong & goes against the values of our city," Randy Boissonnault, Member of the House of Commons of Canada, said.

However, there is a global concerns over the raise of Khalistani sympathisers operating within Canada, with incidents often linked to calls for an independent Khalistan state in India's Punjab region.

Meanwhile, the Consulate General of India in Vancouver has condemned the incident. In a post, it said, "We condemn the defacing of BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in #Edmonton with anti-India graffiti. We have requested the Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take prompt action against the perpetrators."