Ontario: In yet another incident of a hate crime, a Hindu temple was vandalised with” anti-Hindu” and “anti-India graffiti” sprayed in black on an exterior wall of the temple on Tuesday night in Windsor—in the province of Ontario of Canada. The Windsor Police Service have started investigating vandalism at a local Hindu temple as a “hate-motivated incident” and said that two suspects are wanted in the incident.
According to Windsor Police, on Tuesday night, officers were dispatched to a Hindu temple in the 1700 block of Northway Avenue following a report of hate-motivated vandalism where officers discovered anti-Hindu and anti-India graffiti sprayed in black on an exterior wall of the building.
Also Read: After Australia, now heritage temple in Canada’s Brampton vandalised; India condemns act
Police releases video
Amid the investigation, police officers obtained a video that shows two suspects in the area just after 12 am (local time). Windsor Police tweeted the same video in which one of the two masked persons could be seen spraying graffiti on the outer walls of the temple. “Two suspects wanted for hate-motivated graffiti,” the police tweeetd along with the video.
“Through investigation, officers obtained a video that shows two suspects in the area just after 12 am. In the video, one suspect appears to commit the vandalism on the wall of the building while the other keeps watch,” the police said.
Two suspects wanted
Giving a description of the suspects, the police said, “ At the time of the incident, one suspect wore a black sweater, black pants with a small white logo on the left leg and black and white high-top running shoes. The second suspect wore black pants, a sweatshirt black shoes, and white socks.”
Seeking local people’s help, the Windsor Police said, “Residents in the immediate vicinity of the temple are encouraged to check their home surveillance or dashcam video footage between 11 pm. and 1 am. for evidence of the suspects.”
Notably, this is the fifth such incident where a temple has been defaced with such graffiti since July last year.
Earlier in February, the Ram Mandir in Canada’s Mississauga was vandalised with anti-India graffiti. The Consulate General of India in Toronto condemned the defacing of the Mandir and requested Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take prompt action against the perpetrators.
“We strongly condemn the defacing of Ram Mandir in Mississauga with anti-India graffiti. We have requested Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take prompt action on perpetrators,” tweeted the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
In January, a Hindu temple in Brampton was defaced with anti-India graffiti triggering outrage among the Indian community. The Consulate General of India in Toronto condemned the vandalism at the Gauri Shankar Mandir stating that the act has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Indian community in Canada.
The consulate office in a statement said, “We strongly condemn the defacing of Gauri Shankar Mandir in Brampton, a symbol of Indian heritage, with anti-India graffiti. The hateful act of vandalism has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Indian community in Canada. We have raised our concerns on the matter with Canadian authorities.” Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown also condemned the vandalism of the temple.
Last September, the Indian Foreign Ministry has issued a strongly worded statement, saying there has been a “sharp increase” in hate crimes against Indians and other “anti-India activities” in Canada. New Delhi had urged the Canadian government to properly investigate the incidents.
Statistics Canada, the country’s national statistical office, has reported a 72 percent increase in hate crimes targeting religion, sexual orientation and race in Canada between 2019 and 2021.
This has led to increased fears among minority communities, particularly the Indian community, which is the fastest-growing demographic group in Canada, accounting for almost four percent of the population.
Indian officials have repeatedly raised the issue of attacks on the Indian community by pro-Khalistani elements in Canada.
Also Read: Australia: Khalistan supporters vandalise, deface walls of Hindu temple in Brisbane