Canadian cop suspended for attending protest outside Hindu temple, 4 held

A Canadian police officer has been suspended for participating in a pro-Khalistan protest outside the Hindu Sabha temple in Brampton, according to a media report on Tuesday, 5 November.

On Sunday, protestors carrying Khalistani flags clashed with people at the Hindu temple and disrupted a consular event co-organised by the temple authorities and the Indian Consulate.

Meanwhile, the Peel Regional Police said on Monday that four people were arrested and a police officer was injured following several protests in Mississauga and Brampton last week, including one at a Hindu temple that turned violent.

In a news statement, the police said officers were called to an unnamed place of worship near The Gore Road in Brampton in response to a "trespassing complaint by a group of protestors".

The police said the protesters then moved to two other locations in Mississauga, including one in the area of Goreway and Etude drives and another near Airport and Drew roads.

"Although these demonstrations occurred at three different locations, they appear to be related to one another. Several incidents between protestors and worshippers broke out," the police said in a statement, adding that one officer sustained minor injuries during one of the incidents.

There were unverified videos circulating on social media about the protest. The videos appeared to show demonstrators holding banners in support of Khalistan, as reported by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

The Peel Police is "aware of a video circulating on social media which shows an off-duty Peel Police officer involved in a demonstration," said Media Relations Officer Richard Chin in an email to CBC News.

"This officer has since been suspended in accordance with the Community Safety and Policing Act," he said.

"We are investigating the circumstances in totality depicted in the video and are unable to provide further information until such time that this investigation is complete."

Peel police previously said three people have been charged after violence erupted as Indian consular officials visited the Hindu Sabha Mandir temple Sunday.

Videos circulating on social media show demonstrators holding banners in support of Khalistan, the CBC report added.

Later in the day, demonstrators made their way to the Westwood Mall in neighbouring Mississauga, according to the World Sikh Organisation of Canada.

A short time after, a third protest was held outside the Malton gurdwara, a Sikh place of worship on Airport Road in Mississauga, the report added.

"Although these demonstrations occurred at three different locations, they appear to be related to one another. Several incidents between protestors and worshippers broke out," police said in a news release.

India on Monday condemned the attack on the temple with an expectation that those indulging in violence "will be prosecuted".

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said that New Delhi remains "deeply concerned" about the safety and security of Indian nationals in Canada.

"We condemn the acts of violence perpetrated by extremists and separatists at the Hindu Sabha Temple in Brampton, Ontario. We call on the government of Canada to ensure that all places of worship are protected from such attacks," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was quoted as saying in the statement.

Describing the attack on a Hindu temple in Canada as “more than an isolated incident”, Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan has said the incident pained him deeply and hoped that the Canadian government would take necessary steps to ensure the safety of Hindu community there.

In a social media post on Monday night, Kalyan said Hindus are a global minority, and as such, they receive little attention, little solidarity, and are easily targeted. Every act of hatred, every instance of abuse against them is a blow to all who cherish humanity and peace.