Ontario authorities are probing an incident of vandalism at a Hindu temple in the Greater Toronto Area, with two young white men still on the loose after the attack.
Based on a statement released Thursday by the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS), the Sri Krishna Brundavana Temple in Georgetown was vandalized early Sunday morning. Two suspects were observed departing a local pub in downtown Georgetown around 1:10 am before proceeding towards the temple.
Security cameras caught the duo, wearing hooded sweatshirts, destroying and ripping down a sign on the temple’s front door. The HRPS has since made available photos of the suspects and is asking the public for their help in identifying them.
A member of the congregation of the temple called the act a hate crime and said it was part of a larger pattern of animosity against the Hindu community in Canada. Local news Halton Hills Today said that security cameras clearly filmed the act of destruction as it took place.
The Hindu Canadian Foundation (HCF) decried the attack, calling upon authorities and citizens to see it in the larger context of growing extremism. “Growing radical ideologies are stoking targeted hate against Hindu Canadians and places of worship,” the organization tweeted on X.
Attacks on Hindu temples have been witnessed throughout Canada over the past few years. In November 2023, a Khalistan supporters’ group broke into the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton, attacking worshipers who were participating in a protest. A police officer was suspended for his role in the protest, and Inderjeet Gosal, one of the leaders of the so-called Khalistan referendum, was arrested and charged for the temple invasion.
The police continue to investigate the Georgetown case and have requested that all who possess information come forward in a bid to ensure accountability as well as safety for all communities.
