In Brampton, Canada, a well-known Hindu temple known as the Gauri Shankar Mandir was recently vandalized with anti-India graffiti, inciting outrage within the Indian community. The Indian Consulate General in Toronto issued a statement condemning the act, saying it has caused deep offense and pain to the Indian community residing in Canada.
“This heinous act of vandalism has deeply hurt the feelings of the Indian community in Canada. We have raised our concerns on the matter with the Canadian authorities,” the consulate office said in a statement on Tuesday.
The incident is currently being investigated by Canadian authorities.
There have been at least three other incidents of vandalism in Canada since last July that are similar to the one that occurred at the Hindu temple in Brampton.
In a stern statement last September, the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that hate crimes against Indians and other “anti-Indian activities” had risen dramatically in Canada. The Indian capital of New Delhi had urged Ottawa to carry out a thorough investigation.
Statistics Canada, Statistics Canada, has observed a 72% increase in hate crimes in Canada between 2019 and 2021 that target a person’s race, religion or sexual orientation.
As a result, minority communities have become more fearful, especially the Indian community, which makes up nearly 4% of Canada’s population and is the fastest growing demographic.
Indian officials have raised the issue of attacks on the Indian community by pro-Khalistani elements in Canada on numerous occasions.