Gurdwara, Hindu temple vandalised in Canada

As advance polling for Canada’s federal elections concludes today, leading up to the final voting day on April 28, a series of unsettling incidents within the past 24 hours has spotlighted the delicate tensions simmering within the Indian diaspora and Indo-Canada relations.

The vandalism of a gurdwara and a Hindu temple in Surrey alongside the emergence of anti-India and anti-Hindu slogans at the Khalsa Parade in Surrey later in the day, starkly underline these frictions. Adding to the charged atmosphere, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s visit to Brampton’s Guru Nanak Mission Centre (GGNMC) has drawn attention to the complex interplay of cultural, religious, and political dynamics within the communities.

The vandalisation of the gurdwara and the temple coincided with the Khalsa Parade, where “wanted” posters of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar were paraded. Social media is teeming with videos showing pro-Khalistan activists, with flags, asking Indians (read Hindus) to “go back to their country”.