Trudeau condemns Hindu temple violence near Toronto

Trudeau condemns violence at Hindu temple near Toronto, blames Sikh activists, sparking tensions between Canada and India.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned as "unacceptable" violence at a Hindu temple near Toronto on Sunday (November 3, 2024), following skirmishes blamed by some leaders on Sikh activists.

Local police in the city of Brampton, roughly 50 km (30 miles) northwest of Toronto, said they had deployed heavily outside the Hindu Sabha Mandir in order to maintain calm during a protest.

A spokesman for the Peel Regional Police told AFP that no arrests had been made. Police have also declined to assign blame for the reported violence.

"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," Mr. Trudeau wrote on X.

A federal lawmaker and member of Trudeau's Liberal Party, Chandra Arya, blamed the incident on "Khalistanis," a reference to supporters of the fringe separatist movement for an independent Sikh homeland in India's Punjab state.

Relations between Canada and India have nosedived after Ottawa accused the Indian Government of orchestrating the 2023 killing in Vancouver of 45-year-old naturalized Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Khalistan activist.

Beyond Nijjar's killing, Canada has accused India of directing a broad campaign targeting Sikh activists on Canadian soil, which Ottawa says has included intimidation, threats and violence.