Indian PM Modi Weighs In on Ontario Hindu Temple Skirmish

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the East Asia Summit during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Vientiane, Laos, on Oct. 11, 2024. Tang Chhin Sothy/Pool Photo via AP

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reacted to a protest by Khalistan supporters at a Hindu temple in Ontario that turned violent during the weekend, saying efforts to “intimidate” his officials won’t affect “India’s resolve.”

“I strongly condemn the deliberate attack on a Hindu temple in Canada,” Modi wrote in a statement posted on social media platform X on Nov. 4.

Videos posted online appear to show Sikh supporters of Khalistan, an independent state they want to carve out of India, coming to blows with individuals attending the Hindu Sabha Mandir temple in Brampton, Ont., on Nov. 3.

Indian consular officials were visiting the temple on that day to provide administrative services to seniors such as related to access to pensions.

The separatist group Sikhs for Justice were protesting the presence of the Indian officials and accused them of using the visit to find informants against Sikh activists.

Modi said protesters made a “cowardly attempts to intimidate our diplomats.”

“We expect the Canadian government to ensure justice and uphold the rule of law,” added the Indian prime minister.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the violence at the temple “unacceptable” and thanked police for responding “swiftly.”

Peel Regional Police, which is responsible for the Toronto suburb of Brampton, said in the early morning of Nov. 4 it had arrested and criminally charged three individuals in relation to the protests. Police said the initial protest that started at the Hindu temple had subsequently relocated at two different locations in Mississauga.

The names of and affiliations of the individuals arrested were not released. Peel police said several other unlawful acts are still being investigated.

India’s High Commission and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also condemned the events in statements released on Nov. 3 and Nov. 4. The High Commission said a strong police presence had been requested “well in advance.”

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India remains “deeply concerned about the safety of Indian nationals in Canada.”

The Ontario Sikhs and Gurdwara Council also reacted by condemning the violence at the Hindu temple in Brampton. “The incident outside the temple is a distressing reminder of the need for understanding and mutual respect in our community,” the organization said in a statement.

The flare-up among Indian diaspora communities come at a time of heightened tensions between Ottawa and New Delhi.

New Delhi has long accused the Canadian government of turning a blind eye to Khalistan extremism.

The Canadian government, meanwhile, expelled six Indian diplomats on Oct. 14 deemed “persons of interest” in the investigation into the assassination in B.C. of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Nijjar was gunned down outside a Sikh place of worship in June 2023, a hit Ottawa has publicly linked to Indian government agents.

The RCMP also made a public declaration on Oct. 14, saying the Indian government agents have been involved in homicides and extortion in Canada.

Canadian officials said the expulsion of diplomats and public discussion of ongoing police investigations came after India refused to cooperate on the matter.

India has denied being involved in criminality and said the Canadian government’s accusations are politically motivated.

India’s expelled High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma told CTV News after being summoned to leave Canada that “not a shred of evidence has been shared with us” with regards to the accusations.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.