‘Khalistan group wants to create trouble at Hindu temple’: Canadian lawmaker urges government to ‘step in’

A Canadian lawmaker has raised concerns about the security of a Hindu Laxmi Narayan temple in Surrey, after receiving threats from Khalistani separatists.

Rishi Sharma, an Indian-origin Member of Parliament in Canada, said he has been contacted by members of the temple community who are worried about their safety. This threat comes a week after some Khalistani supporters verbally abused a Sikh family outside a gurdwara.

Arya took to X to reveal that he is "again asking the Canadian authorities to step in and take action" "like a broken record."

“Last week, Khalistan supporters verbally abused a Sikh family outside a Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, according to some reports. Now it appears the same Khalistan group wants to create trouble at the Hindu Laxmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey,” he wrote in a post on X on Tuesday.

“All these are being done in the name of freedom of speech and expression. Like a broken record, I am again asking the Canadian authorities to step in and take action. Hindu temples have been attacked many times during the last couple of years,” he added.

“Hate crimes are being committed against Hindu Canadians. Allowing these things to continue to be done openly and publicly is not acceptable,” he further said.

Five months after the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, the social fabric of the nation continues to grapple with communal tension. Nijjar, was wanted in India, was shot dead on June 18 outside a gurdwara by unidentified assailants.

His death ignited a firestorm of protests from Khalistani advocates in Canada, collectively voicing their dissent over the seemingly targeted killing. Matters took an alarming turn in July as online posters promoting violent actions against Indian diplomats and official premises surfaced, further appealing to the simmering tensions between the two groupings.

The Nijjar issue escalated to a diplomatic stand-off between Canada and India. The Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, publicly suggested possible involvement of Indian operatives in Nijjar's killing. After Trudeau claimed "potential" participation of Indian operatives in Nijjar's death, the matter sparked a diplomatic spat between India and Canada.

Also Read: 'We don't see it in geopolitical context': Sundar Pichai explains how Google looks at Israel-Hamas war