CANADA
Indian consular camps in Surrey go ahead despite heavy protests
Devotees and members of the Indo-Canadian community in the town of Surrey in British Columbia confronted pro-Khalistan elements who had come to protest a consular camp at the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir on Sunday.
Devotees and members of the Indo-Canadian community in the town of Surrey in British Columbia confronted pro-Khalistan elements who had come to protest a consular camp at the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir on Sunday.
According to temple officials nearly 200 counter-protestors faced off for over three hours against the pro-Khalistan protest, which had been called by the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice or SFJ.
Temple president Satish Kumar said, referring to the consular camp organised at the temple, “Everything ran very smoothly.”
“They had about 25 protestors and we had nearly 200,” he added.
The two groups faced off across the road in front of the temple as Surrey Police deployed nearly 20 personnel to keep them apart.
“The way they had given us an ultimatum, we were ready to face them. They never expected we were prepared to give them a taste of their own medicine,” temple council chair Parshotam Goel said.
“If the consulate needs to deliver services to the community, we will welcome them, regardless of the threat. We are not going to get intimidated and we’re not going to take it lying down,” he stressed.
After almost three hours of the confrontation, police officers at the venue intervened to disperse the two groups. Police also prevented masked Khalistani elements in a vehicle from disrupting the camp, which had been organized by India’s Consulate in Vancouver.
Earlier in the day, the temple posted on social media, “Mandir Attack. Come and Save.”
SFJ has warned the Hindu community to “stop sponsoring” the killers of the its principal in the province Hardeep Singh Nijjar. He was killed on June 18 in Surrey.
Nijjar’s killing led to a rupture in relations with India after Trudeau’s statement in the House of Commons on September 18 that there were “credible allegations” of a potential link between his murder and Indian agents. Part of the information that led to that statement came from the US. India had described those allegations as “absurd” and “motivated.”
Canada has sought India’s cooperation in the investigation being conducted by the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team or IHIT in BC but India has said it has been provided with no evidence to support Ottawa’s allegations.
There were similar protests at a consular camp organised by India’s Consulate in Toronto at the Toronto Kali Bari in the town of Mississauga in the Greater Toronto Area or GTA. However, the Consulate posted on X that camps held over the weekend at five locations in Ontario were successful with nearly 900 life certificates issued to pensioners and queries of the community answered.
Similar camps were also held at six locations in Canada the previous weekend, under heavy police presence due to the threat to disruption by pro-Khalistan elements.
Such camps are organised in areas with large Indo-Canadian populations so that the elderly do not have make the journey to India’s missions in Ottawa, Toronto or Vancouver for the purpose.
No comments:
Post a Comment