“Red Line Has Been Crossed”: Canadian MP Condemns Attack On Hindu Temple

The recent attack at a Hindu temple in Canada’s Brampton has angered Indo-Canadians with a prominent member of the country’s parliament saying the anti-India extremists have crossed a “red line”.

“A red line has been crossed by Canadian Khalistani extremists today. The attack by Khalistanis on the Hindu-Canadian devotees inside the premises of the Hindu Sabha temple in Brampton shows how deep and brazen has Khalistani violent extremism has become in Canada,” Chandra Arya wrote on X this morning.

https://twitter.com/AryaCanada/status/1853159545016659994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Videos showed dozens of men storming the Hindu Sabha temple near Toronto and assaulting devotees, which Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned.

The Indian embassy said “anti-India elements” orchestrated the violence outside a consular camp co-organised by the temple.

Mr Arya said he feels the Khalistani extremists have infiltrated the country’s law enforcement agencies besides its political apparatus.

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“I begin to feel that there is a small grain of truth in the reports that in addition to Canadian political apparatus, Khalistanis have effectively infiltrated into our law enforcement agencies. No wonder that under the ‘freedom of expression’ Khalistani extremists are getting a free pass in Canada,” read his post, echoing India’s accusation that Canada provides a safe haven to terrorists and extremists.

He also called on Hindu-Canadians to step up and asserts their rights and hold politicians accountable for the security and safety of the community.

Prime Minister Trudeau said the violence at the Brampton temple was unacceptable and thanked the local police for swift action.

“The acts of violence at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton today are unacceptable. Every Canadian has the right to practice their faith freely and safely. Thank you to the Peel Regional Police for swiftly responding to protect the community and investigate this incident,” said Trudeau.

Read | Devotees Attacked At Canada Hindu Temple, Justin Trudeau Reacts

The Indian embassy called the violence “deeply disappointing”, despite which, it said the consulate was able to issue more than 1,000 life certificates to the Indian and Canadian applicants.

The violence comes amid diplomatic tensions between India and Canada triggered by Trudeau’s charges that “Indian agents” were behind the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India had trashed the charges as “baseless”.

The central government last month pulled its top diplomats from Canada. The latest statement too raised concerns over its diplomats receiving threats in the country.