India Cancels Consular Camps As Canada Conveys ‘Inability To Provide Security’

Toronto: After security agencies expressed ‘their inability to provide minimum security protection’ to the camp organisers, the Indian Consulate in Canada cancelled the scheduled consular camps to issue life certificates.

This was mentioned by the Consulate General of India, Toronto on Thursday.

“In view of the security agencies conveying their inability to provide minimum security protection to the community camp organizers, Consulate has decided to cancel some of the scheduled consular camps,” the Consulate General of India posted on X.

This comes barely few days after pro-Khalistan supporters allegedly attacked Hindus when the Indian consulate had co-organised a consular camp outside the Hindi Sabha Temple in Brampton near Toronto.

Responding to the attack strongly, India registered its protest with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing anguish over the incident.

According to reports, attempts were made to disrupt similar camps in Vancouver and Surrey on November 2 and 3.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had said while speaking at the House of Commons in the Canadian Parliament the communities who instigated the violence were neither the Sikhs nor the Hindus in Canada.

“The violence we have seen in South Asian communities across the country over the past few nights, let me be very clear. The individuals who are inciting violence and division and hatred in no way represent either the Sikh community or the Hindu community in Canada,” Trudeau said, as quoted by the ANI.

“At the time of Diwali and Bandi Chhor Diwas, we are seeing communities come together to celebrate their diversity and strength; we will continue to stand for the unity of Canadians,” he added.

Earlier, Canadian police warned the Hindu community of arrests in the wake of protests against the attack on a temple in Brampton. Calling the protests “unlawful” the Peel Regional Police issued a public safety alert, saying “weapons” were seen within the demonstration as around 5,000 Indo-Canadians, mainly Hindus, protested outside the Hindu Sabha Temple on Monday.

Notably, on Sunday, pro-Khalistani protesters clashed with devotees at the temple and disrupted a consular event co-organised by the temple authorities and the Indian Consulate. Videos showed demonstrators holding Khalistan flags engaging in fistfights with Hindu community members.

The Hindu Canadian Foundation claimed women and children were among those targeted by the mob.

A video also went viral, showing Canadian police allegedly assaulting a group of Hindu worshippers who were protesting against the attack, leading to further outrage. Another video showed a cop charging at a protester and raining punches on him.