The authorities in Ontario are probing an incident of vandalism at the Sri Krishna Brundavana Temple in Georgetown, a GTA suburb. The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) affirmed in a statement on Thursday that it is investigating the incident, which happened early on Sunday morning.
Two white young men in hooded sweatshirts were seen on security cameras at about 1:10 a.m., HRPS reported. The suspects had allegedly left a pub in the downtown area and walked toward the temple. The duo was seen on surveillance video tearing down and damaging a sign at the front of the temple.
Security cameras caught the suspects tearing down and vandalizing a front sign at the temple,” police said. Images of the suspects were released in the hopes of catching them.
A member of the congregation, interviewed by Halton Hills Today, referred to the act as a hate crime against Hindus. The report also indicated that closed-circuit cameras recorded the vandalism as it was happening.
In response to the event, the Hindu Canadian Foundation (HCF) was alarmed by the broader trend of hate-based attacks on the Hindu community. “The increasing grip of extremist and radical ideologies has resulted in hateful acts against Hindu Canadians and their places of worship in the past. Such acts imperil the cohesion of our multicultural societies,” the organisation wrote on X, and added that the act “must be considered in the context” of increasing extremism.
This event comes as part of a disturbing trend of violence against Hindu temples in Canada. In November 2023, a group of pro-Khalistan activists raided the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton and confronted devotees during a protest. After that incident, a Peel Regional Police sergeant was suspended for participating in the protest, while Inderjeet Gosal, the primary organizer of the so-called Khalistan referendum in Canada was arrested and charged for his role in the violent break-in.
The HRPS continues their pursuit of the suspects and have called on members of the public to report any information concerning the case.
