- Thursday, April 25, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
Attacks on Hindu religious centres have continued abated in Canada as a temple has been vandalised with anti-India graffiti in Windsor in the Ontario province, the city’s police said in a statement.
They also launched an investigation into the vandalism as a “hate-motivated incident” and were looking for two suspects wanted in the incident, the Asian News International reported.
WINDSOR POLICE NEWS RELEASE
Two suspects wanted for hate-motivated graffitihttps://t.co/yOvlYU4ykn@CStoppers with information pic.twitter.com/5bT4ukynSq— Windsor Police (@WindsorPolice) April 5, 2023
According to the police statement, personnel were sent to the targeted Hindu temple on Wednesday (5) following a report of hate-motivated vandalism.
“On April 5, 2023, officers were dispatched to a Hindu temple in the 1700 block of Northway Avenue following a report of hate-motivated vandalism. Officers discovered anti-Hindu and anti-India graffiti sprayed in black on an exterior wall of the building,” Windsor Police said in the statement.
In the investigation, the police officers obtained a video that shows two suspects in the area just after 12 am (local time). ” In the video, one suspect appears to commit the vandalism on the wall of the building while the other keeps watch,” Windsor police said in the statement.
“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,” the police further said.
The Windsor police have called on residents in the immediate vicinity of the temple to check their home surveillance between 11 pm-1 am (local time) for evidence of the suspects. Police have urged people to call the mortality unit if they have any information regarding the incident.
In February, the Ram Mandir in Canada’s Mississauga was vandalised with anti-India graffiti. The Indian consulate general in Toronto condemned the defacing of the temple 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.
In January, a Hindu temple in Brampton was defaced with anti-India graffiti triggering outrage among the Indian community. The consulate general 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.
(With ANI inputs)
