New Delhi [India], April 6: The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday condemned the vandalisation of a Hindu temple in Canada’s Windsor yesterday and said that the MEA is in touch with the Indian consulate.
While speaking to the reporters on Thursday, the MEA spokesperson said, “We will continue to insist that action is taken against the perpetrators. They are identified and persecuted. Also, as important as measures to prevent such occurrences.”
“We want these incidents not to happen, we want action and ensure that the Indian community’s places of worship are protected,” Arindam Bagchi added.
“This issue has been taken up with the Canadian authorities to catch the perpetrator and ensure this doesn’t happen again,” he added.
Clearing India’s stand on recent incidents of vandalisation at Indian consulates and High Commission, Arindam Bagchi said, “It (Vandalisation) has happened in a couple of places. We have made it pretty clear to our host governments what actions we expect from the host government in terms of what they need to do. We are in contact with the host governments. We had conveyed our expectations about the security of our premises and the safety of our personnel.”
“What is important is action to be taken rather than assurances,” he added.
A Hindu temple was vandalised with anti-India graffiti in Windsor in Canada’s Ontario, Windsor police said in a statement.
The Windsor Police Service started an investigation into the vandalism as a “hate-motivated incident” and two suspects are wanted in the incident.
According to the statement, police personnel were sent to the Hindu temple on April 5 after a report of hate-motivated vandalism.
“On April 5, 2023, officers were dispatched to a Hindu temple in the 1700 block of Northway Avenue following a report of hate-motivated vandalism. Officers discovered anti-Hindu and anti-India graffiti sprayed in black on an exterior wall of the building,” Windsor Police said in the statement.
In the investigation, police officers obtained a video that shows two suspects in the area just after 12 am (local time).
“In the video, one suspect appears to commit the vandalism on the wall of the building while the other keeps watch,” Windsor police said in the statement.
“At the time of the incident, one suspect wore a black sweater, black pants with a small white logo on the left leg, and black and white high-top running shoes. The second suspect wore black pants, a sweatshirt black shoes, and white socks,” the police further said.
The Windsor police have called on residents in the immediate vicinity of the temple to check their home surveillance between 11 pm – 1 am (local time) for evidence of the suspects. Police have urged people to call the Mortality Unit if they have any information regarding the incident.
Earlier in February, the Ram Mandir in Canada’s Mississauga was vandalised with anti-India graffiti. The Consulate General of India in Toronto condemned the defacing of the Mandir and requested Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take prompt action against the perpetrators.
“We strongly condemn the defacing of Ram Mandir in Mississauga with anti-India graffiti. We have requested Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take prompt action on perpetrators,” tweeted the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
In January, a Hindu temple in Brampton was defaced with anti-India graffiti triggering outrage among the Indian community. The Consulate General of India in Toronto condemned the vandalism at the Gauri Shankar Mandir stating that the act has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Indian community in Canada.
The consulate office in a statement said, “We strongly condemn the defacing of Gauri Shankar Mandir in Brampton, a symbol of Indian heritage, with anti-India graffiti. The hateful act of vandalism has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Indian community in Canada. We have raised our concerns on the matter with Canadian authorities.” Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown also condemned the vandalism of the temple.
