Violent clashes erupt outside consular camp at Hindu temple in Canada’s Brampton

The Indian High Commission in Canada on November 4 said that a consular camp in Brampton, near Toronoto, witnessed “violent disruptions” on Sunday. This comes after Hindu-Canadian devotees were attacked at a Hindu temple near Toronto

The Indian High Commission in Canada on Monday (November 4, 2024) said that a consular camp in Brampton, near Toronoto, witnessed “violent disruptions” on Sunday. This comes after Hindu-Canadian devotees were attacked at a Hindu temple near Toronto.

The Indian High Commission in Ottawa in a statement blamed “anti-India elements” for the violence outside the consular camp co-organised with the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton.

“On account of the prevailing security situation in Canada, the Canadian authorities had been requested well in advance to provide strong security measures for these events, which constitute routine consular work. It is deeply disappointing to see such disruptions being allowed for routine consular work being organised by our Consulates with the fullest cooperation of local co-organizers,” the Indian High Commission said.

Most beneficiaries of the consular service organised by the Indian High Commission in Brampton were Sikh members of the Indian diaspora.

“We also remain very concerned for the safety of applicants, including Indian nationals, on whose demand such events are organised in the first place,” the Commission further said. The Indian diplomatic missions organise consular camps every year for the benefit and ease of local life certificate beneficiaries.

“Despite these efforts by anti-India elements, our Consulate was able to issue more than 1,000 life certificates to the Indian and Canadian applicants. There were also attempts to disrupt similar camps held in Vancouver and Surrey on November 2-3,” the Indian embassy noted.

Local police in the city of Brampton 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.