Amid concerns about the absence of "minimum security against heightened threats" from Canadian authorities, the Indian Consulate in Toronto has announced the cancellation of further consular camps, as stated in an official release on Thursday.
“Due to continued inability conveyed by security agencies to provide minimum security against heightened threats, the Consulate has had to cancel some more consular camps. Most of them were not at any places of worship, including one at a police facility,” the Consulate General of India in Toronto stated.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, image via Reuters
This decision comes after the Indian High Commission in Canada recently suspended planned consular camps due to attacks by Khalistani groups on November 2 and 3 at camps in Brampton and Surrey.
“The Consulate is fully sensitive to the difficulties faced by close to 4,000 elderly members of the diaspora in the Greater Toronto Area — both Indian and Canadian nationals — who have been deprived of an essential consular service,” the statement further noted.
On November 2, a Khalistani group entered the Hindu Sabha temple in Brampton, disrupting a consular camp and allegedly assaulting attendees. Reports indicate that the temple's organizers did not receive adequate protection from Peel Police against the attackers.
The banned pro-Khalistani organization, Sikhs for Justice, stated that its supporters were protesting the presence of Indian consular officials offering administrative services.
The Indian High Commission had been providing essential services to the Indian-Canadian community, but these efforts were hindered by anti-India elements. In response to these incidents, the Ministry of External Affairs emphasized the effects of security concerns on consular operations, while remaining hopeful about holding camps in other cities.
Attack on Brampton Temple
On November 3, a violent confrontation broke out at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Protesters clashed physically, using flagpoles and throwing punches. Peel Regional Police have arrested three people in connection with the incident, and the investigation is still underway. Although no groups have been formally identified, the altercation involved individuals carrying yellow Khalistan flags and others holding Indian flags.
Diplomatic Tensions Between India and Canada
Tensions between India and Canada have intensified following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations that Indian agents were involved in the September killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India vehemently rejected these accusations, condemning the Trudeau government for undermining bilateral ties and pursuing appeasement politics.
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