On 26th November (local time), the Khalistani elements harassed the Hindu devotees outside Laxmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey in Canada, prompting the Hindu community to respond with a peaceful counter-protest.
Following the protest by the Hindu community, the pro-Khalistani elements ran away from the scene. In response to the Khalistanis, the Hindu community gathered outside the temple and raised pro-India slogans.
They waved religious saffron flags with Om printed on them and chanted Vande Mataram while the patriotic song played in the background.
They also raised anti-Khalistan slogans such as ‘Neem Ka Patta Kadwa Hai, Khalistani bha*wa hai’, ‘Khalistan is porkistan’ and others.
Khalistanis detained by Surrey police but temple authorities remain worried
Some Khalistani elements were detained by the local police which controlled the situation further. Despite the apparent solution, the temple authorities believe that the situation will remain worrisome as the safety of the devotees and the sacred place are under threat.
Notably, when Hindus demanded to remove the covers from pro-Khalistani elements’ faces, one of them charged at the Hindus in front of the police.
News18 quoted an unnamed source from the temple who said the situation has been the same for a long and it has become a regular feature. The source said, “This is a regular feature. Khalistanis come and protest. We fear for our lives because of them.”
The source further added that despite repeated complaints filed by the temple authorities against the Khalistani elements, the Canadian government has failed to address their concerns.
The source said, “The Canadian government is showing no interest and has never taken any action despite repeated complaints from us against these groups.”
Protests outside Kalibari Temple
Just a day before the Surrey protests, Khalistani elements staged a protest outside Kalibari Temple in Mississauga, Canada. Over a dozen Khalistani supporters were waving Khalistani flag and chanting anti-India slogans.
They called for “justice” for Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar who was shot dead by unknown assailants in June 2023.
Attacks on Hindu temples in Canada
In September this year, Khalistani elements vandalised the Shree Mata Bhameshwari Durga Devi Society in Surrey British Columbia. In February 2023, unknown miscreants defaced a Ram temple in Mississauga with anti-India graffiti.
In January 2023, the Gauri Shankar Mandir was desecrated by Khalistani extremists in Brampton City in Ontario province of Canada. The walls of the temple were defaced with anti-India graffiti by Khalistanis associated allegedly with the banned outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ).
In September 2022, some Khalistani terrorists defaced BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Toronto with anti-India slogans. Several videos circulating on social media showed slogans of ‘Khalistan Zindabad, Hindustan Murdabad’ painted on the walls of the temple. In February 2022, six Hindu temples were attacked in Toronto.
India-Canada relationships and the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
In June 2023, Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed in Canada by unknown assailants probably as a result of a gang war. However, in September 2023, the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, accused India of being involved in the murder.
Following the accusations, Canada also expelled a senior Indian diplomat. India categorically denied any involvement in the murder and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in retaliation. Furthermore, 41 more diplomats were asked to leave the country and warned to strip them of their diplomatic immunity.
In October, the diplomats of Canada left India. Canada tried to gather support from its western alias but not of it supported accusations against India wholeheartedly.
Even after two months of the diplomatic blunder that Canada made, India is still to receive any credible evidence that Indian agents were involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.