Divya Prata, Pune
The most recent incident attacking Hindu temples in the nation was two Khalistan supporters who wrote “anti-Hindu and anti-India graffiti” on a renowned temple in the British Columbia region of Canada.
At 12:29 a.m. on Saturday, the incident took place at Surrey’s Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir.
According to Surrey Mandir’s Facebook page, two people intentionally breached the external barrier to put up Khalistan referendum posters at the entrance and the main access gate.
The incident, which occurred on August 12, 2023, at 12.29 AM in the middle of the night within the Temple, was “really very sad,” read the post. “One male and one female person jumped over the outside boundary and purposely pasted #Khalistanreferendum Posters on the Main Entry Gate and Main Entrance of the Surrey Mandir.” The purpose of this action, it claimed, was to instill dread among Hindus.
India has repeatedly denounced and called for punishment for Canadian Khalistan advocates who attacked Hindu shrines.
“These hate mongers and attention seekers have not even left the Hindu Temple and disgraced Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, Surrey by putting these posters on the mandir’s main door that too by trespassing the mandir’s property,” said the website of the temple. “If they are seeking justice, they should find legal means to get it and NOT by disgracing sacred places. We worship here and we need to maintain decorum here. Lord, please give them some wisdom!!! We strongly condemn such incidents at any place of worship.”
Hindu temples have been vandalized in Canada before. In what authorities are describing as a “hate-motivated incident,” unidentified individuals vandalized the BAPS Swaminarayan temple in the Canadian province of Ontario in April with “anti-Hindu and anti-India graffiti.” Indians were outraged when anti-Indian graffiti was left on the Gauri Shankar temple in Brampton in January.
According to the Indian Consulate General in Toronto, the vandalism of the temple left the Indian community in Canada feeling incredibly upset. At least three such vandalism instances occurred in Canada last year.
The Ministry of External Affairs has already denounced the surge in anti-Indian and hate crimes committed by proponents of Khalistan in Canada and called for action against those responsible. India has reportedly requested its allies, including the US, UK, and Canada, not to tolerate “extremist Khalistani ideology” since it is “not good” for ties, according to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.