Arrests in Brampton, Surrey Following Khalistan-Led Protests Outside Hindu Temples

Several have been arrested following a weekend of protests led by Khalistani activists outside of Hindu temples across Canada.

Law enforcement services in Surrey, B.C. and Brampton, Ont. announced charges against several suspects accused of involvement in alleged political and sectarian violence.

Peel police arrested three individuals in connection to a turbulent pro-Khalistan protest outside of a Hindu temple in Brampton, Ont. that was caught on video and shared widely on social media.

Sikhs for Justice, which has been banned as an “unlawful association” by the Indian government since 2019, organized the protest outside of the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton, which ended in violence. Videos from the protest show men wielding Khalistan flags chasing members of the temple onto the temple’s outdoor property and opposing groups exchanging blows.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the SFJ’s General Counsel, emailed True North to say that the protest was organized against Indian diplomats who he said were running a “life certificate” camp for Indian expats seeking pension documentation services at the Hindu Sabha Mandir. In his comments, Pannun insisted that it was “in no way directed against the temple.”

The Indian government designated Pannun a terrorist in 2020 because of his Sikh separatist activities and he is currently facing charges related to sedition in India.

The protests were prompted by Sikh activist groups, which have criticized India’s conduct of diplomatic business outside of official embassies and consular offices.

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According to a Peel Regional Police news release, the protest outside the temple, which turned violent, was the first of three Khalistan protests on Sunday. Police reported “several incidents between protesters and worshipers.” Police said that a Peel Regional Police officer was treated at a hospital with minor injuries, though no other injuries were reported.

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Footage captured by independent journalist Mocha Bezirgan also shows Khalistani protesters assembled outside the Vancouver Hindu Temple to protest the presence of an Indian diplomat.

Pannun insisted to True North that the demonstrations in Brampton were peaceful and only turned violent after a group of “Indo-Canadian nationalists,” who he alleges were “incited by Indian consulate officials,” attacked Sikh demonstrators outside the temple.

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