India-origin Canadian Member of Parliament Chandra Arya has shared a purported video on social media platform X, claiming the presence of Pro Khalistani supporters in Surrey with intentions to create trouble at the Hindu Laxmi Narayan Mandir.

Arya, in his social media post, called on Canadian authorities to take action and address the situation at the temple in Surrey.

He wrote, "Last week, Khalistan supporters verbally abused a Sikh family outside a Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, BC, according to some reports. Now it appears the same Khalistan group wants to create trouble at the Hindu Laxmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey."

"All these are being done in the name of freedom of speech and expression. Like a broken record, I am again asking Canadian authorities to step in and take action," he added.

Highlighting those Hindu temples has been consistently targeted in attacks over the past few years. Arya noted by saying, "Hindu temples have been attacked many times during the last couple of years. Hate crimes are being committed against Hindu-Canadians."

"Allowing these things to continue to be done openly and publicly is not acceptable," he said.

In August of this year, extremist elements vandalized a Hindu temple in Canada, displaying Khalistan referendum posters. The poster affixed to the temple gate featured an image of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the chief of the Khalistan Tiger Force and a designated terrorist who was killed in June.

This incident is part of a series of attacks on Hindu temples in Canada, with multiple occurrences recorded this year alone. One such incident took place in April when the BAPS Swaminarayan temple in Windsor, Ontario, was vandalized with anti-India graffiti.

In February, the Ram Mandir in Mississauga, Canada, fell victim to vandalism as anti-India graffiti defaced the premises. Condemning the act, the Consulate General of India in Toronto called on Canadian authorities to swiftly investigate the incident and take necessary actions against the perpetrators.

A separate incident in January involved the defacement of a Hindu temple in Brampton with anti-India graffiti, sparking outrage within the Indian community. The Consulate General of India in Toronto expressed strong condemnation of the vandalism at the Gauri Shankar Mandir, underscoring the deep impact on the sentiments of the Indian community in Canada.

The relationship between India and Canada has faced strains following remarks made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a Canadian Parliament debate. Trudeau asserted that national security officials in Canada had grounds to believe that the killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, also the president of Surrey's Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, was carried out by "agents of the Indian government."

India categorically rejected the claims made by Canada, dismissing them as "absurd" and "motivated." Notably, Canada has not presented any public evidence supporting the assertion regarding the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist in India and was fatally shot outside a Gurdwara parking area in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18.

During a diplomatic standoff in September, India suspended its visa services with Canada until "further notice." However, following a comprehensive review of the security situation, India decided to resume visa services for four categories in Canada, effective October 26. These categories include Entry visa, Business visa, Medical visa, and Conference visa. The decision took into account recent Canadian measures in this regard.

Image source: Hindustan Times