Hindu temple in Canada cancels consular event amid 'high, imminent' threat of protests

Ottawa: The Brampton Triveni temple in Canada has cancelled a consular event after the Canadian police warned them of an "extremely high and imminent" threat level of violent protests.

The Life Certificate event, organised by the Consulate General of India, Toronto, was scheduled for November 17 at the temple premises. It was part of the consulate's many camps for issuing Life Certificates for pension purposes.

On Monday, the temple authorities said the event was cancelled due to "official intelligence from Peel Regional Police, stating that there is an Extremely High and Imminent Threat Level of violent protests".

"...We must make the appropriate decision to cancel to ensure the safety of Brampton Triveni Mandir devotees, community visitors, and the general public," the temple authorities said in a statement.

"We are deeply saddened that Canadians now feel unsafe coming to Hindu Temples in Canada," it added.

Temple authorities called on Peel Police to address the threats being circulated against the temple and provide security guarantees to the Canadian Hindu community and the general public.

The cancellation came almost a week after protestors carrying Khalistani flags clashed with devotees at a Hindu Sabha temple and disrupted an event co-organised by the temple authorities and the Indian Consulate at Brampton.

Meanwhile, Peel Regional Police on Tuesday issued a statement clarifying not receiving threats against any place of worship.

In a statement posted on X, Peel Regional Police said it is aware of community concerns, particularly at places of worship, regarding demonstrations and perceived threats.

However, it wishes to clarify that "we have not received any direct threats against any place of worship in the Region of Peel".

"Peel Regional Police has increased our presence around places of worship to reassure the public. Additionally, we have been actively engaging with community leaders, organisations, and local stakeholders to address safety concerns and de-escalate tensions.

As part of these efforts, Peel Regional Police has been in contact with the Consul General of India, as well as places of worship and community centres to work collaboratively to mitigate risks for the community. Given the current tensions in the community and a shared interest in maintaining public safety, the organisers agreed that Consular Camps be postponed to a later date to allow for tensions to ease and limit any negative impact on the community," the statement said.

Last week, the Consulate General of India in Toronto said it was cancelling some of its scheduled consular camps after the Canadian security authorities conveyed their inability to provide minimum security protection to its organisers.

After the protests at the Hindu Sabha temple in Brampton on November 3, the Ministry of External Affairs said that New Delhi remains "deeply concerned" about the safety and security of Indian nationals in Canada.

India condemned the attack with an expectation that those indulging in violence "will be prosecuted".

The relations between India and Canada have come under severe strain following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September last year of a “potential” involvement of Indian agents in Khalistan extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing.

New Delhi rejected Trudeau's charges as “absurd”.

Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was designated a terrorist by India.

India has been maintaining that the main issue between the two countries is that of Canada giving space to pro-Khalistan elements operating from Canadian soil with impunity.