India condemns "hate crime" at Shri Bhagavad Gita Park in Canada

Toronto, Oct 02: The Indian High Commission in Canada on Sunday condemned the vandalism of the Bhagavad Gita park in Toronto, calling it a "hate crime."

It comes days after it was inaugurated in Canada's Brampton and it was vandalised on Saturday.

The Indian High Commission in Canada tweeted, "We condemn the hate crime at the Shri Bhagavad Gita Park in Brampton. We urge Canadian authorities & Peel Regional Police to investigate and take prompt action on the perpetrators."

The Mayor of Brampton Patrick Brown admitted that it was vandalised and the investigation is on. "We are aware that the recently unveiled Shri Bhagavad Gita Park sign has been vandalized. We have zero tolerance for this. We have flagged this to Peel Regional Police for further investigation. Our Parks department is working to resolve and correct the sign as soon as possible," he tweeted.

A park, spread over 3.75 acres, in Brampton in Canada was renamed as Shri Bhagavad Gita Park on Wednesday. It will have sculptures of Lord Krishna and Arjuna on a chariot and some other Hindu deities, it said.

Incidentally, India had issued an advisory for Indian nationals and students in Canada to remain vigilant in view of increasing incidents of crimes and anti-India activities in the country.

"There has been a sharp increase in incidents of hate crimes, sectarian violence, and anti-India activities in Canada. The Ministry of External Affairs and our High Commission/Consulates General in Canada have taken up these incidents with the Canadian authorities and requested them to investigate the said crimes and take appropriate action," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.