'Unlawful': Canadian Police Warns Of Arrest As Thousands Of Hindus Protest Against Brampton Temple Attack

Over a thousand members of the Canadian Hindu community gathered in Brampton on Tuesday demanding protection and accountability in the country. The protest, organized by the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), took place outside the Hindu Sabha Mandir, the same place where Khalistani extremists attacked Hindu devotees a day before.

The protest follows the violent incident of Sunday when pro-Khalistani demonstrators attacked attendees at the Hindu Temple during a consular event hosted by the Indian Consulate. Videos shared on social media showed demonstrators carrying Khalistani flags and engaging in violent altercations with templegoers, including some instances where protesters appeared to strike others with poles.

Canadian police called the protests by the Hindu community “unlawful”. They asked the protestors to disperse from the area and warned of arrests if they failed to do so. 

“Weapons have been observed by police within the demonstration. This is now an unlawful assembly. The Public Order Unit is advising the crowds to disperse. All Parties must leave the area now or face arrest,” Peel Regional Police wrote on X.

CoHNA condemned the attack and used social media to call for solidarity among the Hindu diaspora. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the organization said, “Over a thousand #CanadianHindus have gathered in Brampton to protest against the increasingly brazen attacks on Hindu Temples.”

A police officer from the Peel Regional Police has been suspended for participating in the pro-Khalistani protest. Richard Chin, a Media Relations Officer for Peel Police, confirmed the officer’s suspension and said that the department was “investigating the circumstances in totality” of the incident.

The group also condemned a series of attacks on Hindu temples during the recent Diwali weekend. “Yesterday, during the sacred #Diwali weekend, Canadian Hindu temples, coast to coast, came under attack,” CoHNA added. “We ask Canada to stop this #Hinduphobia now!”

Indian reactions to the temple attack

The attack on the Hindu temple has triggered widespread condemnation, both in Canada and India. Prime Ministers of both countries have condemned the attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the act a “cowardly attempt” to intimidate Indian diplomats. “I strongly condemn the deliberate attack on a Hindu temple in Canada. Equally appalling are the cowardly attempts to intimidate our diplomats. We expect the Canadian government to ensure justice and uphold the rule of law,”  Modi wrote on X.

Opposition parties in India also weighed in with Congress party spokesperson Pawan Khera demanding that the Indian government take up the matter “very strongly” with Canadian authorities. “The Canadian police were also seen trying to physically stop devotees from a counter-protest instead of taking action against the pro-Khalistani elements,” he said in a video statement.

Although Canadian PM Justin Trudeau condemned the attack, his remarks have drawn sharp criticism from some quarters in India, particularly from BJP officials. Ravneet Singh Bittu, a BJP leader, accused Trudeau of playing “dirty politics” by allegedly stoking divisions between Hindus and Sikhs in Canada. 

“Justin Trudeau has successfully divided the Indian diaspora in Canada for his dirty politics. Sikhs and Hindus live together in harmony in India but they are being pitched against each other in Canada,” Bittu said.

The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has also raised alarm over the attack, claiming that the Indian consulate's request for additional security had been ignored by Canadian authorities. “We do believe that this may be rather intentional,” said Alok Kumar, VHP's international president.

The tensions between India and Canada, already strained over accusations surrounding the killing of Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, have only deepened following this incident. The recent violence, critics argue, is part of a broader pattern of increasing support for Khalistani separatism in Canada, particularly among segments of the Sikh diaspora.