By Barry Ellsworth
TRENTON, Canada (AA) – Three people were arrested Monday as violence boiled over at a Sikh Temple near Toronto.
The clash, recorded on video, between Indian diplomats and Sikhs supporting creation of a separate state of Khalistan erupted Sunday as demonstrators engaged in fist fights and struck each other with poles.
“As a result of these demonstrations, three individuals have been arrested and criminally charged for their actions,” Peel Regional Police posted Monday on X. “Several acts of unlawfulness continue to be actively investigated….”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took to X and condemned the attack.
“I strongly condemn the deliberate attack on a Hindu Temple in Canada,” Modi posted on Monday. “Equally appalling are the cowardly attempts to intimidate our diplomats. We expect the Canadian government to ensure justice and uphold the rule of law.”
“The acts of violence at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton today (Sunday) are unacceptable,” Trudeau posted. “Every Canadian has the right to practice their faith freely and safely.”
Tension is high between the two countries after Canadian police linked the Modi government to violence on Canadian soil, including murder of a Canadian-Sikh activist in 2023.
New Delhi denies the accusations.
The group Sikhs for Justice said there have been several attacks on Sikhs who are supporters of an independent state of Khalistan. The group urged that Indian consular officials be stopped from doing work outside their High Commission in Ottawa and the Consulates General in Toronto and Vancouver, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
Such external work “directly endanger the safety and security of pro-Khalistan citizens in Canada,” the group said.