Expect Canada to take action against anti-India elements: MEA

New Delhi: India expects Canada to take action against anti-India elements who have repeatedly threatened Indian leaders, institutions, airlines, and diplomats by violence, Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday.

On the reports that Canada has charged two persons for threatening Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau and other leaders, Randhir Jaiswal stated, "We have seen these reports. When a democracy adopts different yardsticks to measure or implement the rule of law and freedom of expression, it only exposes its own double standards. We expect Canada to take action against anti-India elements who have repeatedly threatened Indian leaders, institutions, airlines and diplomats by violence. We would like to see strong action, same level of action on the threats posed to us."

Recently, two Alberta men have been charged after death threats were allegedly directed at top federal leaders, including Trudeau, The Globe and Mail reported. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said that a user allegedly posted threats in May to kill Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. 23-year-old Mason John Baker of Calgary has been charged with uttering threats, The Globe and Mail reported.

In a separate case, police said someone on YouTube allegedly posted threats in June to kill Trudeau, along with Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, the report said. 67-year-old Garry Belzevick of Edmonton is charged with three counts of uttering threats.

Ties between the two countries had become strained after Trudeau had in the House of Commons last year talked about "credible allegations" about a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of the Khalistani terrorist Nijjar that took place in Surrey in British Columbia, Columbia in June 2023.

India has, however, dismissed the accusations as "absurd" and "motivated." Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by India's National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot and killed outside a Gurdwara in Surrey in June last year.

Recently, the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Edmonton was vandalised. Member of Parliament for Nepean, Chandra Arya, voiced deep concern over the escalating incidents of hate-fueled violence directed at Hindu-Canadian communities.

"The Hindu temple BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Edmonton is vandalised again. During the last few years, Hindu temples in the Greater Toronto Area, British Columbia, and other places in Canada are being vandalised with hateful graffiti," Arya said in a post on X on June 23.

The recent attack adds to a string of similar incidents documented in recent years, underscoring a distressing trend of religious intolerance.

Arya, a Liberal member of Parliament known for his advocacy on multicultural issues, pointed to the impunity enjoyed by Khalistani extremists in Canada, citing instances where their rhetoric has openly incited hatred and violence.

"As I have always been saying, Khalistani extremists seem to get away with ease with their public rhetoric of hate and violence. Again, let me put it on record. Hindu Canadians are legitimately concerned. Like a broken record, I again call on Canadian law enforcement agencies to take this issue seriously before these rhetorics get translated into physical action against Hindu Canadians," Arya reiterated.

"Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of Sikhs for Justice last year publicly called for Hindus to go back to India. Khalistan supporters publicly celebrated in Brampton and Vancouver the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and brandishing images of deadly weapons," Arya further said.

The incident was also raised on social media by another Canadian political leader, who termed the incident a display of "hateful rhetoric".

"Earlier today, the Edmonton BAPS Mandir was vandalised with paint, displaying hateful rhetoric on the walls of what should be a place of refuge. Hate has no part in Canada - much less in places of worship & prayer. This incident is wrong & goes against the values of our city," Randy Boissonnault, Member of the House of Commons of Canada, said in a post on Tuesday on X.

Canadian law enforcement agencies have been urged to take proactive measures to address these threats and ensure the safety and security of all religious communities in Canada. The incidents have prompted renewed discussions on bolstering security measures around Hindu temples and enhancing efforts to combat extremist propaganda.