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Toronto: The Indian government formally protested Tuesday night against the vandalism of Toronto’s largest temple after it was sprayed with pro-Khalistan graffiti.
The incident occurred late Tuesday through Wednesday after workers and volunteers at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto discovered the defacement in the morning.
A senior Indian official told The Hindustan Times that India’s High Commission in Ottawa had conveyed a formal protest note about the vandalism to the country’s foreign ministry, Global Affairs Canada. The mission has sought a swift investigation into the incident, which it described as a “hate crime”.
In a tweet Wednesday night, the Indian High Commission in Ottawa said: “We strongly condemn the vandalism of BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir Toronto with anti-Indian graffiti. Canadian authorities have been asked to investigate this incident and take prompt action against the perpetrators.”
Temple officials declined to comment for this story. However, they confirmed that the front door of the temple was defaced and sprayed with the slogan of Khalistan Zindabad. The back door was also breached. They also said law enforcement was notified after discovering the temple on Wednesday morning, and Toronto police officers visited the temple and are investigating it.
“Volunteers removed the sign (graffiti) after finding it. Police are now carrying out their procedures,” said one volunteer, who asked not to be named. However, the perpetrators were unable to enter the temple grounds and targeted the entrance facing the public road.
However, the incident bears parallels with the destruction of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Vishnu Shrine in Richmond Hill in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in July. Similar slogans were sprayed on the statue’s pedestal, and the invasion took place late at night. As is currently the case, videos of the incident were posted on social media by several pro-Pakistan people.
The Swaminarayan Shrine in Toronto’s Etobicoke district is a landmark of the city. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited the airport in July 2017 to celebrate its 10th anniversary. At the time, speaking at a gathering there, he noted that when travelers arrive at Toronto Pearson International Airport, Canada’s largest airport, one of the first landmarks they see is this place of worship.
He has said that the temple was built without the use of steel and was “built according to principles outlined in ancient Hindu scriptures. It is without doubt one of Canada’s architectural wonders with its intricate carvings of stone and wood”.
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