Thousands of Canadian Hindus gather to protest against attack on temple in Brampton 

Thousands of Canadian Hindus gathered in a peaceful march on Monday night outside the Hindu Sabha temple in Brampton. This demonstration was organised by the Coalition of Hindus in North America (CoHNA) as a show of solidarity a day after the temple faced an attack by pro-Khalistan supporters.

"Over a thousand Canadian Hindus have gathered in Brampton to protest against the increasingly brazen attacks on Hindu Temples. Yesterday, during the sacred Diwali weekend, Canadian Hindu temples, coast to coast, came under attack. We ask Canada to stop this Hinduphobia now," the Hindu advocacy group tweeted.

Brampton saw participants carrying flags of Canada and India, alongside banners bearing the phrase 'Jai Shri Ram'. The event was marked by chants against Khalistan.

They said that the treatment of Hindu Canadians is “not right” and that they were loyal to Canada. 

"We want Canada to treat Hindus well. We want India and Canada relations to strengthen. We are against those who do this," said an attendee as reported by news agency ANI. Another participant said similar incidents have been happening to the community for about 20 years. “We have been consistently discriminated against. We have gathered here to showcase how we were discriminated against by the police yesterday. Despite that, all Hindus have gathered and protested here peacefully."

On Sunday, a clash occurred at the Hindu Sabha temple involving individuals carrying Khalistani flags and devotees. Unverified videos circulating on social media depicted protesters with pro-Khalistan banners and flags. The Peel Regional Police have arrested three individuals in connection with the incident, citing charges of assault with a weapon and assaulting a police officer.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack on Monday, urging the Canadian government to ensure justice and uphold the rule of law. He tweeted, "I strongly condemn the deliberate attack on a Hindu temple in Canada. Equally, appalling are the cowardly attempts to intimidate our diplomats. Such acts of violence will never weaken India's resolve. We expect the Canadian government to ensure justice and uphold the rule of law." This marked his first statement regarding the ongoing violence by pro-Khalistani supporters in Canada.

The incident also drew condemnation from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who stated that every Canadian has the fundamental right to practice their faith freely and safely. However, Trudeau faced criticism for not explicitly condemning "Khalistani extremism" and allegedly allowing it to persist.