A Hindu temple in Canada’s Edmonton was defaced with anti-India graffiti on Monday. The BAPS Swaminarayan Temple was targeted early this morning, the Hindu American Foundation said, adding that the slurs used in the grafitti attacked PM Modi and Indian-origin Canadian MP Chandra Arya.
Amid sour diplomatic relations between India and Canada, this incident of a targeted attack on a Hindu temple in Canada came to light on Tuesday. The BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Edmonton was vandalised by anti-India and anti-Hindu graffiti.
Chandra Arya, the Member of Parliament for Nepean voiced deep concern over the escalating incidents of hate-fuelled violence at Hindu-Canadian communities.
“The Hindu temple BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Edmonton is vandalised again. During the last few years, Hindu temples in the Greater Toronto Area, British Columbia, and other places in Canada are being vandalised with hateful graffiti,” Arya said in a post on X.
This is not the first time that a Hindu temple has faced the brunt of hate crime in Canada. Last year, a Hindu temple in Windsor was defaced with anti-India graffiti, sparking widespread condemnation and calls for action from both Canadian and Indian officials. Similar incidents were seen in Mississauga and Brampton too, drawing flak from the Indian community in Canada.
Canadian law enforcement agencies have been urged to take proactive measures to address these threats and ensure the safety and security of all religious communities in Canada, as per Randy Boissonnault, Member of the House of Commons of Canada.
