Ottawa, July 24 :
Canada is their land, and they have enhanced the multicultural fabric of the country, said Canadian Member of Parliament Chandra Arya in a robust response to a video by separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who demanded that Pannun and his Hindu-Canadian friends return to India.
He stressed that Hindus have made substantial contributions to Canada's socioeconomic development because they have migrated here from all over the world.The Canadian MP posted a message on X, "In response to my condemnation of the vandalism of the Hindu temple BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Edmonton and other acts of hate and violence by Khalistan supporters in Canada, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of Sikhs for Justice has released a video demanding me and my Hindu-Canadian friends to go back to India."
Arya went on to say that Hindu-Canadians have contributed to Canada's multicultural fabric by preserving and sharing their Hindu heritage and culture. In his speech, he did not mince words when he accused the Khalistani radicals of "polluting" Canada.
All throughout the globe, Hindus have flocked to Canada, our great nation. We have migrated here from every nation in South Asia, a great number of African and Caribbean nations, and countless more; Canada is our homeland," the Canadian lawmaker added.
"Our positive and beneficial contributions to Canada's socio-economic growth have been substantial and ongoing. Our rich Hindu background has contributed to Canada's multiculturalism for generations. Extremists from the Khalistani sect are exploiting the liberties given by the Canadian Charter of Rights and polluting our land, he continued.
The BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Edmonton was vandalized once again this week, continuing a disturbing trend of targeted attacks on Hindu sites of worship. The increasing number of hate-motivated acts of violence against Hindu-Canadian communities has deeply troubled Chandra Arya, a member of parliament for Nepean.
Once again, vandalism has targeted Edmonton's Hindu temple, BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir. Following the recent spate of vandalism at Hindu temples across Canada, including in the Greater Toronto Area and British Columbia, Arya shared the photo in a post on X on Tuesday.
This latest incident is just the latest in a disturbing pattern of religious intolerance that has been observed in recent years. Canadian and Indian authorities condemned and demanded action after anti-India graffiti defaced a Hindu temple in Windsor last year.
The Canadian Indian community reacted strongly to earlier instances in which temples were targeted in a similar fashion in Brampton and Mississauga.
Arya, a Liberal lawmaker well-known for his multiculturalism, brought attention to the fact that extremists from the Khalistani movement in Canada enjoy complete impunity, pointing to specific cases where their speech has openly called for violence and hatred.
Everyone in Canada is concerned about the safety of religious communities, and they want the police to do something about it. The incidents have reignited the debate over how to better protect Hindu temples from terrorist attacks and how to counter extremist ideology.
