India demands strong, swift action against temple vandals in Canada

Condemning the attack, Indian-origin Canadian MP Chandra Arya posted on X: “During the last few years, Hindu temples in the Greater Toronto Area, British Columbia, and other places in Canada being vandalised with hateful graffiti.”

Talking to reporters on Thursday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “We have strongly taken up the matter with the Canadian authorities, both in Delhi and Ottawa. We condemn the vandalisation, and expect the local authorities to take strong and swift action against those responsible.”

“These attacks against temples have become a recurring occurrence and are done with a purpose which is not difficult to fathom,” he said.

India has put it on record that there has been a number of incidents of vandalism in recent times in Canada and a lack of action against the perpetrators has emboldened the criminal elements. “Those advocating and responsible for extremism and violence need to be brought to justice or else the rule of law and respect for pluralism in Canada will continue to be severely undermined. We hope the Canadian government will take action,” Jaiswal said.

On reports about Canada charging two persons for threatening on social media to kill Prime Minister JustinTrudeau and other leaders, Jaiswal said, “When a democracy adopts different yardsticks to measure or implement the rule of law and freedom of expression, it only exposes its own double standard.”