- Saturday, February 22, 2025
The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Edmonton was spray painted with anti-India graffiti on its walls
By: Shajil Kumar
A HINDU temple in Edmonton, Canada, was on Monday vandalised with anti-India graffiti painted on its walls.
The Consulate General of India in Vancouver said in a post on X: “We condemn the defacing of BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in #Edmonton with anti-India graffiti. We have requested the Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take prompt action against the perpetrators.”
There has been no reaction as yet from the BAPS – the Bochasanwasi Aksharpurushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, the organisation that runs the temple.
There are no reports yet of any official action against the perpetrators.
Edmonton MP Randy Boissonnault issued a statement condemning the incident. “The Edmonton BAPS Mandir was vandalised with paint, displaying hateful rhetoric on the walls of what should be a place of refuge. Hate has no part in Canada – much less in places of worship & prayer. This incident is wrong & goes against the values of our city.”
The Canadian Hindu Chamber of Commerce said that the act of vandalism was an affront to the sentiments of the Hindu community and the “principles of respect and tolerance that our society holds dear”.
The chamber expressed concern over the rise of Hinduphobia across Canada and wanted the Canadian government to take effective measures.
Last year, there were at least three incidents of attacks on Hindu temples, including at Mississauga, Brampton and Windsor, and Khalistani referendum posters with veiled threats to Hindus were found.
Nepean MP Chandra Arya said that Hindu temples in Canada are increasingly facing such vandalisation by Khalistani extremists and there has been a rise in anti-India activities.
Incidentally the grafitti also mentioned Arya and threatened him.
He recalled last year’s call by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of Sikhs for Justice telling Hindus to go back to India.
“Khalistan supporters publicly celebrated in Brampton and Vancouver the assassination of prime minister Indira Gandhi,” he said in a post on X and added Canadian authorities did not take any action.
He said Hindu-Canadians are worried and called upon Canadian law enforcement agencies to take this issue seriously “before these rhetorics get translated into physical action against Hindu-Canadians.”
Meanwhile, the Hindu American Foundation too condemned the incident and wanted the Canadian authorities to take action against pro-Khalistan activists. (PTI)
